JP3643341B2 - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inhibit swell in a liquid film of a coating liquid at the outer- periphery section of a wafer. <P>SOLUTION: At an upper end section 54b of a cup 54, a plurality of impellers 56 projecting to the side of an opening Q are provided. Each impeller 56 is aligned in the circumference direction of the opening Q. Then, when a wafer W is to be rotated and the film thickness of a coating liquid on the wafer W is to be adjusted, an opening rate at the opening Q is reduced by the impeller 56, thus reducing an air current flowing into the cup 54, and reducing the speed of the air current near the outer-periphery section of the wafer W. As a result, the drying speed of the coating liquid at the outer-periphery section of the wafer W becomes slow, and the deposition of the dried coating liquid to the outer-periphery section of the wafer W is inhibited. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, for example, a film forming process for forming an interlayer insulating film such as a SOD (Spin on Dielectric) film on the surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as “wafer”) is performed. In the film forming process, a coating process for coating a wafer with a coating solution to be an interlayer insulating film is performed.
[0003]
This coating process is usually performed by a coating processing apparatus. The coating processing apparatus includes, for example, a gas supply unit that forms a descending airflow in the coating processing apparatus, a spin chuck for holding and rotating the wafer, a substantially cylindrical cup that accommodates the wafer during coating processing, and the like. Yes. In the coating process, first, a descending airflow is formed in the coating processing apparatus, and the wafer is adsorbed and held by the spin chuck in the descending airflow, and a predetermined amount of coating liquid is dropped onto the center of the wafer. Next, the wafer is rotated, and the coating liquid is diffused on the wafer surface by the centrifugal force. Thereafter, the wafer is further rotated to adjust the film thickness of the coating liquid film. Thus, a coating film having a predetermined thickness is formed on the wafer.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in this coating process, the descending airflow that has flowed into the cup from above passes near the outer periphery of the wafer. Due to this descending airflow, the coating solution on the outer periphery of the wafer dries faster than the coating solution at other portions. Further, when the wafer is rotated, the speed at the outer peripheral portion of the wafer is higher than the speed at the central portion of the wafer, so that the relative speed with respect to the surrounding atmosphere is also increased, and the coating liquid on the outer peripheral portion of the wafer is dried faster.
[0005]
Thus, when the coating solution on the wafer outer peripheral portion dries quickly, the coating solution that has reached the wafer outer peripheral portion by centrifugal force is dried one after another, and the dried coating solution is deposited on the wafer outer peripheral portion. The film thickness becomes thicker. That is, the coating liquid swells on the outer periphery of the wafer. When the swell of the coating liquid is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the wafer in this way, the portion cannot be used as a product and is therefore edge-cut, and the production efficiency of the wafer is reduced accordingly. Therefore, it is necessary to suppress the bulge of the outer periphery of the wafer as much as possible. In particular, as the diameter of the wafer increases in recent years, the difference in speed between the wafer outer peripheral portion and the central portion during rotation tends to increase, and the swell of the coating solution tends to increase.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that suppresses the rising of the processing liquid such as a coating liquid supplied on a substrate such as a wafer in the outer peripheral portion of the substrate. And
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Book According to the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate in a state where a downdraft is formed around the substrate and rotating the substrate to form a liquid film of the processing liquid on the substrate. A substrate holding portion that holds and rotates, and a housing that surrounds the outside of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion and accommodates the substrate, wherein the housing is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with an open top surface. The container is provided with an aperture ratio changing member for changing the aperture ratio of the opening on the upper surface. The aperture ratio changing member is a plurality of blades arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the upper end portion of the container, and each blade is movable in the center direction of the container, The plate is rotatable around a horizontal axis passing through the center of the container. A substrate processing apparatus is provided.
[0008]
According to the present invention, for example, when adjusting the film thickness of the liquid film of the processing liquid on the substrate while rotating the substrate, the aperture ratio of the opening is decreased by the aperture ratio changing member and flows into the container from above. The flow rate of the descending airflow can be reduced. By doing so, the flow velocity of the downdraft passing through the vicinity of the outer periphery of the substrate in the container can be reduced. As a result, drying of the processing liquid at the outer peripheral portion of the substrate is suppressed, and the processing liquid flowing from the central portion of the substrate to the outer peripheral portion is smoothly discharged as it is from the end portion of the substrate. Therefore, it is suppressed that the dried processing liquid accumulates on the outer peripheral portion of the substrate and the outer peripheral portion rises.
[0009]
Also, The vane plate moves to the center side of the container, and the aperture ratio of the opening can be reduced. Further, the blade can move to the upper end side of the container, and the opening can be opened.
[0010]
further, The vane rotates and the aperture ratio of the opening can be adjusted more finely. Moreover, the direction of the airflow flowing into the container can be changed. As a result, an air flow in the same direction as the rotation direction of the substrate is formed in the container, and the speed difference between the outer peripheral portion of the substrate and the surrounding atmosphere can be reduced. As a result, the drying speed of the outer peripheral portion of the substrate is reduced, and the rise of the outer peripheral portion of the substrate can be suppressed.
[0011]
The vane plate may be formed in a fan shape, and a notch may be provided in a main part of the fan plate of the vane plate. In such a case, even when each blade plate moves toward the center of the container and the opening ratio of the opening portion is reduced, the opening portion is not completely closed by the notch of the blade plate. As a result, the descending airflow always flows into the container, so that particles generated in the container can be appropriately eliminated. Further, even when the atmosphere in the container is positively sucked, the gas inlet can be secured, so that a turbulent flow is formed in the container and it is possible to prevent the processing liquid on the substrate from being adversely affected.
[0012]
Further, the blade is formed in a fan shape, A gap may be formed between the blades arranged in the circumferential direction in the opening of the container. Also by this processing apparatus, the opening is not completely closed, so that the inflow of gas into the container can be ensured and particles in the container can be removed appropriately.
[0013]
Another aspect of the present invention is a processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate in a state where a downdraft is formed around the substrate and rotating the substrate to form a liquid film of the processing liquid on the substrate. , A substrate holding portion that holds and rotates the substrate, and a housing that surrounds the outside of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion and accommodates the substrate, wherein the housing is a substantially cylinder having an open top surface The container is provided with an opening ratio changing member that changes the opening ratio of the opening on the upper surface, The opening ratio changing member is provided at an opening of the container. , Being rotatable from the opening of the container toward the outside in the radial direction of the opening There may be a plurality of flaps. In such a case, the flap can open and close the opening of the container, and the opening ratio of the opening can be changed.
[0014]
The flaps may be arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the opening of the container, the flaps may be formed in a sector shape, and a notch may be provided in a substantial part of the sector shape of the flap. The flap may be formed in a sector shape, the flaps may be arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the opening of the container, and a gap may be provided between the flaps. Even in such a case, the opening is not completely closed due to the notch of the flap or the gap between the flaps, so that the inflow of gas into the container can be secured. Thereby, airflow always flows into the container, and particles generated in the container can be appropriately exhausted. Further, even when the atmosphere in the container is sucked and the atmosphere in the container is positively exhausted, a gas inflow port can be secured, so that turbulence can be prevented from forming in the container.
[0015]
The substrate processing apparatus may be configured so that the opening is not completely closed even when the opening ratio of the opening is reduced most by the opening ratio changing member. According to the present invention, the descending airflow always flows into the container, so that particles generated in the container can be appropriately eliminated. In addition, even when the atmosphere in the container is positively sucked, the gas inlet is secured, so that a turbulent flow is formed in the container and can be prevented from adversely affecting the processing liquid on the substrate.
[0016]
The substrate processing apparatus may include a temperature / humidity adjusting device for adjusting the temperature and humidity of the gas forming the descending airflow. As a result, the substrate can be processed in an atmosphere of optimum temperature and humidity. Further, since the film thickness of the substrate processing liquid film is affected by the processing temperature and humidity, the temperature and humidity can be adjusted so that the outer peripheral film thickness and the central film thickness are closer. Therefore, the rise of the outer peripheral portion of the substrate can be suppressed.
[0017]
As a reference example, A substrate processing method performed using a substrate processing apparatus, wherein the substrate is rotated when the substrate is rotated to adjust the film thickness of the liquid film of the processing solution, and the substrate ratio is reduced. Processing method Can suggest .
[0018]
By doing so, the flow rate of the downdraft flowing into the container during the adjustment of the film thickness of the processing liquid is reduced, and the velocity of the airflow flowing near the outer periphery of the substrate is lowered. As a result, the drying speed of the processing liquid at the substrate outer peripheral portion is reduced, and the processing liquid flowing into the outer peripheral portion of the substrate by centrifugal force is smoothly discharged from the end portion of the substrate. Therefore, it can be suppressed that the dried processing liquid is deposited on the outer peripheral portion of the substrate and the film thickness of the outer peripheral portion of the substrate is increased. In addition, the other steps other than the film thickness adjustment step are performed with a wider aperture ratio than the film thickness adjustment step, so that the suspended matter generated from the substrate or the like by the descending airflow flowing into the container is suitably discharged. can do.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of the SOD film forming system 1 on which the coating apparatus according to this embodiment is mounted, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the SOD film forming system 1. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the SOD film forming system 1.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 1, the SOD film forming system 1 carries, for example, 25 wafers W in and out of the SOD film forming system 1 from the outside in units of cassettes, and carries wafers W in and out of cassettes C. The cassette station 2 and the processing station 3 in which various processing devices for performing predetermined processing in a single wafer type in the SOD film forming process are arranged in multiple stages are integrally connected.
[0021]
In the cassette station 2, a plurality of cassettes C can be placed in a single line in the X direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1) at a predetermined position on the cassette placement table 10 serving as a placement portion. The wafer transfer body 11 that can be transferred in the cassette arrangement direction (X direction) and the wafer arrangement direction (Z direction; vertical direction) of the wafer W accommodated in the cassette C is movable along the transfer path 12. It is provided so that each cassette C can be selectively accessed.
[0022]
The wafer carrier 11 has an alignment function for aligning the wafer W. The wafer carrier 11 is configured to be accessible to extension devices 31 and film thickness measuring devices 13 belonging to a third processing device group G3 on the processing station 3 side described later.
[0023]
A film thickness measuring device 13 for measuring the film thickness of the coating film formed on the wafer W is provided on the back side of the cassette station 2 (upper side in FIG. 1). The film thickness measuring device 13 irradiates light on the surface of the wafer W, for example, and measures the film thickness using the reflected light. The measurement result by the film thickness measuring device 13 is output to the main control unit 14 that can control various processing devices in the processing station 3, for example.
[0024]
In the processing station 3, a main transfer device 15 is provided at the center, and various processing devices are arranged in multiple stages around the main transfer device 15 to form a processing device group. In this SOD film forming system 1, four processing device groups G1, G2, G3, and G4 are arranged, and the first and second processing device groups G1 and G2 are arranged on the front side of the SOD film forming system 1. The third processing unit group G3 is disposed adjacent to the cassette station 2, and the fourth processing unit group G4 is disposed on the opposite side of the third processing unit group G3 with the main transfer unit 15 interposed therebetween. Has been. The main transfer device 15 can load and unload the wafer W with respect to various processing devices (described later) arranged in these processing device groups G1, G2, G3, and G4. Note that the number and arrangement of the processing device groups vary depending on the type of processing performed on the wafer W, and the number of processing device groups can be arbitrarily selected as long as it is one or more.
[0025]
In the first processing unit group G1, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a coating processing unit 17 and a coating processing unit 18 as substrate processing units according to the present embodiment are arranged in two stages from the bottom. In the second processing unit group G2, for example, a coating solution used in the coating processing unit 17 and the like, a solvent of the coating solution, and the like are stored, and a processing solution cabinet 19 serving as a supply source of the coating solution and the coating processing unit 20 are stored. Are arranged in two stages in order from the bottom.
[0026]
In the third processing unit group G3, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, a cooling device 30 for cooling the wafer W, an extension device 31 for transferring the wafer W, and a DCC (Dielectric Cure and) for curing the wafer W Cooling-off) processing apparatuses 32 and 33 and low-temperature heat processing apparatuses 34 that heat-process the wafer W at a low temperature are stacked in, for example, five stages in order from the bottom.
[0027]
In the fourth processing unit group G4, for example, cooling devices 40 and 41, a low-temperature heat processing unit 42, and low-oxygen heat processing units 43 and 44 that perform heat processing while maintaining the wafer W in a low-oxygen atmosphere are sequentially arranged in, for example, five stages. Are stacked.
[0028]
Next, the configuration of the coating processing apparatus 17 described above will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing an outline of the configuration of the coating treatment apparatus 17.
[0029]
For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the coating processing apparatus 17 has a casing 17 a, and a spin chuck 50 as a substrate holding unit for holding and rotating the wafer W is provided in the center of the casing 17 a. ing. The upper surface of the spin chuck 50 is formed horizontally, and a suction port (not shown) for adsorbing the wafer W, for example, is provided on the upper surface. Accordingly, the spin chuck 50 can hold the wafer W by suction.
[0030]
The spin chuck 50 has a drive unit 51 for rotating the spin chuck 50 at a predetermined speed. The drive unit 51 is provided, for example, below the spin chuck 50 and includes, for example, a motor. Thereby, the wafer W held by the spin chuck 50 can be rotated at a predetermined rotation speed corresponding to each coating process. Further, the drive unit 51 is provided with an elevating mechanism (not shown) such as a cylinder for elevating and lowering the spin chuck 50, and the spin chuck 50 can be raised to above the cup 54 described later.
[0031]
A coating liquid supply nozzle 52 that supplies a coating liquid as a processing liquid to the wafer W is held by, for example, a nozzle arm 53. For example, the nozzle arm 53 is movable from the outside of the cup 54 to above the center of the spin chuck 50. Thereby, the coating liquid supply nozzle 52 can drop the coating liquid on the center of the wafer W. The nozzle arm 53 can be moved up and down, and the height of the coating liquid supply nozzle 52 can be adjusted.
[0032]
The coating liquid supply nozzle 52 is connected to, for example, a coating liquid supply mechanism (not shown) in the processing liquid cabinet 19, and can discharge a predetermined amount of the coating liquid at a predetermined timing.
[0033]
A cup 54 is provided outside the spin chuck 50 as a container for accommodating the wafer W being applied. The cup 54 has a substantially cylindrical shape with an upper surface opened, and is formed so as to surround the outer side and the lower side of the wafer W on the spin chuck 50. That is, the cup 54 has an opening Q through which gas from above flows into the upper surface. The bottom surface 54 a of the cup 54 is provided with a discharge port 55 that exhausts the atmosphere in the cup 54. For example, a pump P is provided at the discharge port 55, and the atmosphere in the cup 54 can be positively exhausted.
[0034]
The opening portion Q of the cup 54 is provided with a plurality of blade plates 56 as opening ratio changing members for changing the opening ratio of the opening portion Q. Each vane plate 56 has, for example, a substantially sector shape as shown in FIG. 5, and an arc-shaped cutout K is provided at the leading end, which is a main part thereof. The plurality of blades 56 are arranged in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the opening Q, and the center of the opening Q is always opened by the notch K.
[0035]
The upper end 54b of the cup 54 has a thickness, and the blade 56 is accommodated in the upper end 54b. Each blade 56 is supported by a shaft 57 as shown in FIG. For example, the shaft 57 is provided with a shaft driving unit 58 including a motor for moving the shaft 57 back and forth in the center direction of the cup 54. Thereby, each vane plate 56 can project in the center direction of the cup 54. And when all the slats 56 protrude completely from the upper end part 54b, the outer peripheral part of the opening part Q can be closed in a ring shape. That is, the aperture ratio of the opening Q can be reduced.
[0036]
The driving of the shaft driving unit 58 is controlled by the main control unit 14 as shown in FIG. In the main control unit 14, for example, the aperture ratio of the opening Q is set for each processing step, and the main control unit 14 controls the shaft driving unit 58 according to this setting and changes the aperture ratio of the opening Q. it can. Further, the main control unit 14 stores correlation data between the film thickness of the coating film finally formed on the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W and the aperture ratio of the opening Q in each processing step. The setting of the aperture ratio can be changed based on the measurement result of the device 13. Correlation data is obtained in advance by experiments or the like for each wafer recipe.
[0037]
An inclined portion 54 c is provided on the upper part of the inner wall of the cup 54. The coating liquid splashed from the wafer W by the rotation of the spin chuck 50 is received and collected by the inclined portion 54c. A solvent supply port 59 for supplying the solvent of the coating solution to the inclined portion 54c is provided above the inclined portion 54c. A plurality of solvent supply ports 59 are provided, for example, and are arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference. The solvent supplied from the solvent supply port 59 descends while cleaning the inner wall of the cup 54 along the inclined portion 54c, and is discharged from the discharge port 55, for example.
[0038]
A back surface cleaning nozzle 60 for cleaning the back surface of the wafer W by supplying a cleaning liquid such as thinner to the back surface of the wafer W is provided in the cup 54 and below the wafer W held by the spin chuck 50. Yes.
[0039]
At the upper part of the casing 17a, a gas supply unit 70 for supplying a gas such as air, nitrogen gas, inert gas or the like is provided in the casing 17a. The gas supply unit 70 has, for example, an impurity removal function for removing impurities contained in the gas, and a rectifying mechanism for uniformly supplying the gas to the entire casing 17a. The gas supply unit 70 is connected in communication with a gas supply device 72 that is a gas supply source by a gas supply pipe 71. For example, the gas supply pipe 71 is provided with a temperature / humidity adjusting device 73 for adjusting the temperature and humidity of the supplied gas. As a result, a clean gas from which impurities are removed by adjusting to a predetermined temperature and humidity is supplied into the casing 17a, and a uniform downdraft is formed.
[0040]
In the lower part of the casing 17a, for example, an exhaust port 74 is provided. From this exhaust port 74, the gas that has been supplied from the gas supply unit 70, passes the outside of the cup 54, and is lowered is exhausted.
[0041]
Next, the operation of the coating processing apparatus 17 configured as described above will be described together with the process of the SOD film forming process performed in the SOD film forming system 1.
[0042]
First, one unprocessed wafer W is taken out from the cassette C by the wafer transfer body 11 and transferred to the extension device 31 belonging to the third processing unit group G3. Next, the wafer W is transferred to the cooling device 30 by the main transfer device 15 and cooled to a predetermined temperature. The wafer W cooled to a predetermined temperature is transferred to the coating processing apparatus 17 by the main transfer apparatus 15.
[0043]
In the coating processing apparatus 17, before the wafer W is carried in, gas starts to be supplied from the gas supply unit 70 into the casing 17a. Thereby, a uniform downdraft is formed in the casing 17a. At this time, each blade 56 remains housed inside the upper end portion 54b of the cup 54, and the opening Q is fully open. Further, the pump P of the discharge port 55 is operated, and an airflow flowing from the opening Q of the cup 54 toward the discharge port 55 is also formed in the cup 54. The gas that does not flow into the cup 54 is exhausted from the exhaust port 74 through the outside of the cup 54.
[0044]
The gas supplied into the casing 17a is adjusted to, for example, a temperature of 23 ° C. and a humidity of 35% by a temperature / humidity adjusting device 73. As a result, the inside of the casing 17a is replaced and maintained by the atmosphere of such temperature and humidity. According to the experiments by the inventors, it has been confirmed that the temperature and humidity during the coating process affect the film thickness profile of the liquid film of the coating liquid formed on the wafer W. Therefore, the temperature and humidity of the gas supplied into the casing 17a is selected so that the rising of the coating liquid at the wafer outer peripheral portion relative to the central portion of the wafer W is minimized. Such optimum values of temperature and humidity are obtained for each type of coating solution, for example, through experiments. According to the inventors, when the coating solution is a polymer such as polyphenylene, it has been confirmed that the temperature is 23 ° C. and the humidity is 35%.
[0045]
When the wafer W is loaded into the coating processing apparatus 17, the wafer W is delivered from the main transfer apparatus 15 to the spin chuck 50 that has been previously raised on the cup 54 and waiting. The wafer W is sucked and held on the upper surface of the spin chuck 50. Then, the spin chuck 50 is lowered and the wafer W is accommodated in a predetermined position in the cup 54. At this time, the gas flowing into the cup 54 from above passes near the end of the wafer W and flows toward the lower discharge port 55 as shown in FIG.
[0046]
When the wafer W is accommodated in the cup 54, the coating liquid supply nozzle 52 is moved above the center of the wafer W by the nozzle arm 53. Next, a predetermined amount of a coating liquid such as polyphenylene is supplied from the coating liquid supply nozzle 52 to the center of the wafer W.
[0047]
When the coating liquid is supplied to the central portion of the wafer W, the wafer W is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed, for example, 1500 rpm, and the coating liquid is diffused toward the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W by the rotation of the wafer W. When the coating liquid is diffused over the entire surface of the wafer W, the blade plate 56 in the upper end 54b of the cup 54 moves inward, and the outer periphery of the opening Q is closed in a ring shape as shown in FIG. It is done. As a result, the aperture ratio of the opening Q decreases, and the flow rate of the gas flowing into the cup 54 decreases. That is, the flow velocity of the gas flowing near the edge of the wafer W is reduced, and the drying speed of the coating liquid on the outer periphery of the wafer W is reduced.
[0048]
When the aperture ratio of the opening Q is decreased, the rotation speed of the wafer W is accelerated to, for example, 2000 rpm, and the coating liquid on the wafer W is scattered by the centrifugal force, and the amount of the coating liquid on the wafer W is adjusted. Is done. Thereby, the film thickness of the liquid film of a coating liquid is adjusted. When this film thickness adjustment is performed for a predetermined time and a desired coating film is formed on the wafer W, the rotation speed of the wafer W is reduced to, for example, 500 rpm.
[0049]
At this time, the blade 56 again moves into the upper end portion 54b, and the opening Q is opened. Next, thinner is supplied from the back surface cleaning nozzle 60 to the back surface of the wafer W, and the back surface of the wafer W is cleaned. Thereafter, the supply of the thinner is stopped, for example, the wafer W is rotated at 500 rpm as it is, and the wafer W is shaken and dried.
[0050]
When the wafer W is completely shaken and dried, the rotation of the wafer W is stopped, and the wafer W is transferred from the spin chuck 50 to the main transfer device 15 and unloaded from the coating processing device 17. Thereafter, the solvent is supplied from the solvent supply port 59 of the cup 54 to the inclined portion 54c, and the coating liquid adhering to the inclined surface 54c is washed away. When the supply of the solvent is finished, a series of coating treatment processes in the coating treatment apparatus 17 is finished.
[0051]
The wafer W that has been subjected to the coating process of the coating processing apparatus 17 is sequentially transferred by the main transfer apparatus 15 to the low-temperature heating processing apparatus 34 or 42, the low oxygen heating processing apparatus 43 or 44, the DCC processing apparatus 32 or 33, and the cooling apparatus 30. , A predetermined process is performed in each device. The wafer W that has been cooled by the cooling device 30 is returned to the extension device 31 and returned to the cassette C by the wafer carrier 11 to complete a series of SOD film forming processes.
[0052]
By the way, the wafers W for which a series of film forming processes have been completed are transferred to the film thickness measuring device 13 by the wafer transfer body 11 at predetermined intervals, for example. And the film thickness of the wafer W outer peripheral part of the coating film currently formed on the wafer W is measured. The measured value is output to the main control unit 14, and the main control unit 14 derives an optimum aperture ratio from the correlation data between the film thickness of the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W and the aperture ratio of the opening Q, for example, in the coating process. The setting of the aperture ratio when adjusting the film thickness is changed. In the subsequent wafer coating process, the blade plate 56 is opened and closed according to the setting. At this time, when the aperture ratio at the time of film thickness adjustment is increased, for example, the moving distance of the blade 56 to the inside of the cup 54 is shortened, and the opening area of the opening Q is widened.
[0053]
According to the above embodiment, since the blade plate 56 is provided in the opening Q of the cup 54, the aperture ratio can be reduced during film thickness adjustment, and the flow rate of the airflow flowing near the outer periphery of the wafer W can be reduced. . As a result, the drying of the coating solution on the outer periphery of the wafer W is suppressed, so that the coating solution that has flowed to the outer periphery of the wafer W due to centrifugal force is dried on the outer periphery and the coating film thickness on the outer periphery of the wafer W is reduced. Thickening can be suppressed. Therefore, the swell of the coating film on the outer periphery of the wafer W can be suppressed.
[0054]
Further, since the vane plate 56 is housed in the upper end portion 54b of the cup 54 and is movable from the upper end portion 54b toward the inside of the cup 54, the aperture ratio can be easily changed. Further, since the blade plate 56 can be stored in the upper end portion 54b, the transfer of the wafer W into the cup 54 can be suitably performed.
[0055]
Even when the slat 56 is closed most, the opening Q of the cup 54 is not completely blocked, so that it is possible to avoid exhausting the atmosphere in the cup 54 with the upper part of the cup 54 completely blocked. , Turbulent flow can be prevented from forming in the cup 54. This prevents the gas in the vicinity of the wafer W from flowing smoothly and prevents the coating liquid on the wafer W from being adversely affected. The air flow in the cup 54 may be further stabilized by controlling the pump P and adjusting the exhaust amount of the discharge port 55.
[0056]
Since the gas adjusted to the predetermined temperature and humidity is supplied into the casing 17a by the temperature / humidity adjusting device 73, the coating process of the wafer W can be performed in an appropriate atmosphere. In particular, when a polymer coating solution is used as described above, the rising of the coating solution on the outer periphery of the wafer W can be suppressed by setting the temperature to about 23 ° C. and the humidity to about 35%.
[0057]
A film thickness measuring device 13 is provided on the back side of the SOD film forming system 1, and the film thickness of the coating film on the wafer is measured every predetermined number, and the setting of the aperture ratio of the opening Q is changed based on the measurement result. As a result, even if the film thickness fluctuates for some reason, it can be improved to an appropriate film thickness in the subsequent coating process. Note that the temperature and humidity settings of the gas supplied into the casing 17a may be changed based on the measurement result of the film thickness.
[0058]
In the coating process, the aperture ratio of the opening Q is reduced only when the film thickness of the coating solution on the wafer W is adjusted. In other processes, a sufficient air flow is formed around the wafer W, and the cup Particles generated in 54 can be appropriately removed. And since the flow rate of the airflow was reduced during the film thickness adjustment step that most affects the film thickness of the outer periphery of the wafer W, the swell of the coating film on the outer periphery of the wafer W can be appropriately suppressed.
[0059]
In addition to the film thickness adjusting process, the aperture ratio of the opening Q may be decreased also in a process that affects the film thickness, for example, in a process of diffusing the coating solution supplied onto the wafer W.
[0060]
The blade 56 described in the above embodiment may be rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis as shown in FIG. In such a case, for example, a rotation mechanism 80 such as a motor for rotating the shaft 57 is provided. Thereby, the aperture ratio of the opening Q can be adjusted more finely. Further, since the direction of the airflow flowing into the cup 54 can be changed as shown in FIG. 8, an airflow flowing in the same direction as the rotation direction of the wafer W can be formed, for example. Thus, by forming an airflow that flows in the same direction as the wafer W, the speed difference between the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W and the outer peripheral portion is reduced. As a result, the drying speed of the coating solution on the outer periphery of the wafer W is reduced, and the swell of the coating solution on the outer periphery of the wafer W can be suppressed.
[0061]
Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the blade plate 85 may have a fan shape, and when the blade plate 85 closes the opening Q, a gap D may be formed between the adjacent blade plates 85.
Thereby, even when the aperture ratio of the opening Q is minimized, the gas flows into the cup 54 and particles generated in the cup 54 can be eliminated.
[0062]
In the above embodiment, the opening ratio of the opening Q is changed using the blades 56, but a flap for opening and closing the opening of the cup may be provided.
[0063]
FIG. 10 shows such an example, and a plurality of flaps 91 are provided in the opening Q of the cup 90. The flaps 91 are formed in, for example, a substantially fan shape, and are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the opening Q. For example, an arc-shaped notch is provided at the tip of the flap 91. The outer periphery of the opening Q can be closed in a ring shape by the flap 91, and the opening ratio of the opening Q can be changed by opening and closing the flap 91. The central portion of the opening Q is always open. Each flap 91 is rotatable in the radially outward direction of the opening Q. For example, each flap 91 can be rotated at least 90 ° from the horizontal direction inside the opening Q to the outside.
[0064]
For example, in the coating process, when adjusting the film thickness of the coating film on the wafer W, the flap 91 is closed, and the flow rate of the gas flowing into the cup 90 is reduced. As a result, as in the above-described embodiment, the air velocity at the outer periphery of the wafer W is reduced, and the drying rate of the coating liquid at the outer periphery of the wafer W is reduced. And the coating liquid which flowed from the center part of the wafer W to the wafer outer peripheral part by centrifugal force is discharged | emitted from the edge part of the wafer W, without drying at the said outer peripheral part. As a result, it is possible to prevent the dried coating liquid from accumulating on the outer periphery of the wafer W and increasing the film thickness of the outer periphery of the wafer W. Further, the central portion of the opening Q is always open due to the notch at the tip of the flap 91, and particles in the cup 90 can be quickly removed. Note that the flaps 91 may have a fan shape as in the blade plate 85 of the above-described embodiment, and a gap may be formed between the flaps 91 when the flaps 91 are closed.
[0065]
Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the flap 91 may be rotated downward from the horizontal direction inside the cup 90. By doing so, the inflow direction of the airflow into the cup 90 can be changed. Therefore, for example, the inflow direction of the air flow is changed in accordance with the type of the coating liquid, etc., and the drying speed of the wafer outer peripheral portion is adjusted, so that the film thickness of the outer edge portion of the wafer W can be suppressed.
[0066]
The coating film on the outer periphery of the wafer W rises because when the wafer W is rotated as described above, a large speed difference occurs between the speed of the outer periphery of the wafer W and the air velocity of the surrounding atmosphere, and the drying speed is increased. This is because it gets faster. there, As a reference example, An airflow generating member that generates an airflow that flows near the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W at a speed close to the speed of the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W may be provided in the cup.
[0067]
Figures 12 and 13 Reference example For example, the airflow generation member 110 includes an annular base 111 having a diameter larger than that of the wafer W and fins 112 on the base 111. The base 111 is disposed below the wafer W on the spin chuck 50 and attached to the spin chuck 50. Thereby, it rotates together with the spin chuck 50. A plurality of fins 112 are provided on the base 111 and outside the wafer W. For example, the fins 112 are arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference. The fins 112 are formed in a plate shape, for example, and are formed so that the area of the surface on the rotation direction side is widened in order to efficiently form an air flow.
[0068]
When the wafer W is rotated by the spin chuck 50 during the coating process, the airflow generation member 110 is also rotated, and an airflow in the same direction as the rotation direction is formed near the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W by the fins 112. Thereby, the speed difference between the speed of the outer peripheral part of the wafer W and the airflow speed in the vicinity thereof is reduced, and the drying of the coating liquid on the outer peripheral part of the wafer W is suppressed. As a result, the coating liquid that has flowed to the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W is smoothly discharged from the end portion of the wafer W without solidifying at the outer peripheral portion, so that the film thickness of the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W can be suppressed.
[0069]
In this embodiment, the airflow generation member 110 is rotated by the spin chuck 50. However, the airflow generation member may have a separate rotation drive unit and may be rotated by the rotation drive unit. In this case, the rotational speed of the spin chuck 50 is not limited, and the airflow generating member can be rotated at an optimum speed such that the speed of the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W and the airflow speed in the vicinity thereof are closer. The airflow generating member may be used in combination with the blade plate 56 and the flap 91 of the above embodiment.
[0070]
In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the coating processing apparatus 17 for forming the SOD film. However, the present invention is another type of film, for example, an SOG film that is an insulating film, and a protective film. It can also be applied to a coating processing apparatus such as a polyimide film or a resist film. The present invention can also be applied to a coating processing apparatus such as a substrate other than the wafer W, such as an LCD substrate, a mask substrate, or a reticle substrate.
[0071]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since the swell of the processing liquid on the outer peripheral portion of the substrate can be suppressed, the cut width of the substrate end portion can be reduced, and the manufacturing efficiency of the substrate can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a configuration of an SOD film forming system in which a coating treatment apparatus according to an embodiment is mounted.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the SOD film forming system of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a rear view of the SOD film forming system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing an outline of a configuration of a coating treatment apparatus.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the configuration near the opening of the cup.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a single blade.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a slat when the rotation drive unit is attached to the slat.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an opening showing how the direction of airflow is changed by a blade.
FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the configuration of the cup when a gap is provided between the blades.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing a configuration of a coating processing apparatus when a cup flap is attached.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing the configuration of a coating treatment apparatus having a flap that rotates in the inner direction of the cup.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing an outline of a configuration of a coating treatment apparatus provided with an airflow generation member.
13 is a plan view of the airflow generation member of FIG. 12. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 SOD film formation system
17 Coating processing equipment
50 Spin chuck
54 cups
56 slats
73 Temperature and humidity control device
K cutout
Q opening
W wafer

Claims (8)

A processing apparatus for forming a liquid film of a processing liquid on a substrate by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate in a state where a descending airflow is formed around the substrate and rotating the substrate.
A substrate holder for holding and rotating the substrate;
A container that encloses the outside of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion and accommodates the substrate;
The container is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with an open top surface,
The container is provided with an opening ratio changing member that changes the opening ratio of the opening on the upper surface ,
The aperture ratio changing member is a plurality of blades arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the upper end of the container,
Each of the blades is movable in the central direction of the container,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the blade is rotatable about a horizontal axis passing through a center of the container . A processing apparatus for forming a liquid film of a processing liquid on a substrate by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate in a state where a descending airflow is formed around the substrate and rotating the substrate.
  A substrate holder for holding and rotating the substrate;
  A container that encloses the outside of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and accommodates the substrate;
  The container is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with an upper surface opened,
  The container is provided with an opening ratio changing member for changing an opening ratio of the opening on the upper surface,
  The aperture ratio changing member is a plurality of blades arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the upper end of the container,
  Each of the blades is movable in the central direction of the container,
  The blade is formed in a fan shape,
  A substrate processing apparatus, wherein a notch is provided in a main part of the fan-shaped fan plate. 2. The substrate according to claim 1, wherein the blade is formed in a fan shape, and a gap is formed between the blades arranged in the circumferential direction in the opening of the container. 3. Processing equipment. A processing apparatus for forming a liquid film of a processing liquid on a substrate by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate in a state where a descending airflow is formed around the substrate and rotating the substrate.
  A substrate holder for holding and rotating the substrate;
  A container that encloses the outside of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and accommodates the substrate;
  The container is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with an upper surface opened,
  The container is provided with an opening ratio changing member for changing an opening ratio of the opening on the upper surface,
  The opening ratio changing member is a plurality of flaps that are provided at the opening of the container and are rotatable from the opening of the container toward the outside in the radial direction of the opening. , Substrate processing equipment. The flaps are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the opening of the container,
  The flap is formed in a fan shape,
  The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a notch is provided in a main part of the sector of the flap. The flap is formed in a fan shape,
  The flaps are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the opening of the container,
  5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a gap is provided between the flaps. The opening portion is configured so that the opening portion is not completely closed even when the opening ratio of the opening portion is minimized by the opening ratio changing member. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of 5 and 6. The substrate according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, further comprising a temperature and humidity adjusting device for adjusting a temperature and a humidity of the gas forming the descending airflow. Processing equipment.

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