JP7295754B2 - Exposure device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate using vacuum ultraviolet rays.

Vacuum ultraviolet rays are sometimes used to modify films formed on substrates. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes an exposure apparatus that exposes a film containing an induced self-assembly material on a substrate using vacuum ultraviolet rays.

The exposure apparatus includes a processing chamber, a light projection section and a closure section. The processing chamber has an upper opening and an interior space. The light projecting part is arranged above the processing chamber so as to block the upper opening of the processing chamber. A side surface of the processing chamber is formed with a transfer opening for transferring the substrate between the inside and the outside of the processing chamber. The closing section is configured to be able to open and close the transfer opening by means of a shutter.

During the exposure processing of the substrate, the transfer opening is first opened, and the substrate is carried into the processing chamber through the transfer opening. Next, with the substrate placed inside the processing chamber, the transfer opening is closed to seal the internal space of the processing chamber. In addition, the atmosphere in the processing chamber is replaced with an inert gas in order to reduce the attenuation of the vacuum ultraviolet rays irradiated to the substrate by oxygen. When the oxygen concentration in the processing chamber is reduced to a predetermined concentration, the substrate is irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet rays through the upper opening of the processing chamber. This modifies the film on the substrate. After that, the transfer opening is opened again, and the exposed substrate is carried out of the processing chamber.

JP 2018-159828 A

As described above, in the exposure apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the atmosphere in the processing chamber is changed until the oxygen concentration in the processing chamber reaches a predetermined concentration each time the exposure processing is performed on one substrate. It must be replaced with an inert gas. In this case, in order to improve the efficiency of the exposure process, it is desirable to shorten the time required for replacing the atmosphere in the processing chamber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an exposure apparatus capable of improving the efficiency of exposure processing with a simple and compact configuration without lowering the cleanliness of the substrate.

(1) An exposure apparatus according to the present invention is an exposure apparatus that performs exposure processing on a substrate having at least a portion of a circular shape, and is a cylindrical substrate having a processing space capable of accommodating the substrate and having an upper opening and a lower opening. a peripheral wall member, a light emitting part provided above the peripheral wall member so as to block an upper opening of the peripheral wall member and having an emission surface capable of emitting vacuum ultraviolet rays into the processing space, and moving vertically below the peripheral wall member. a closing member configured to be capable of closing and opening a lower opening; a substrate supporting portion supporting the substrate between the exit surface and the closing member so that the substrate faces the exit surface; and a processing space. a supply unit for supplying an inert gas to the processing space in which the substrate is supported by the substrate supporting portion and the lower opening is closed by the closing member; a discharge part for discharging the atmosphere in the processing space to the outside of the processing space in a state in which the lower opening is closed by a first gas that communicates the outside of the peripheral wall member with the processing space A flow path and a second gas flow path are formed, the supply section is provided to be capable of supplying an inert gas into the processing space through the first gas flow path, and the discharge section is provided to process the gas through the second gas flow path. The atmosphere in the space can be discharged to the outside of the processing space, and the first gas flow path and the second gas flow path are provided above the substrate supported by the substrate support in the processing space.

In the exposure apparatus, the substrate is supported between the exit surface and the closing member so that the substrate faces the exit surface of the light exit section. A lower opening of the peripheral wall member is closed by a closing member, and the atmosphere in the processing space is replaced with an inert gas. In this state, vacuum ultraviolet rays are emitted from the emission surface of the light emission part to the substrate, and the substrate is exposed. During this exposure, since the oxygen concentration in the processing space is lowered by the inert gas, the attenuation of the vacuum ultraviolet rays emitted from the emission surface of the light emission section to the substrate is reduced.

According to the above configuration, since the peripheral wall member has a cylindrical shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate, it is possible to reduce the volume of the processing space. As a result, the atmosphere in the processing space can be quickly replaced with the inert gas. Therefore, the oxygen concentration in the processing space can be lowered in a short period of time.

In addition, the processing space formed by the cylindrical peripheral wall member does not have a corner where the gas stays. Therefore, when replacing the atmosphere in the processing space with the inert gas, a smooth gas flow is formed along the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall member. As a result, particles are less likely to remain in the processing space. Therefore, it is possible to improve the cleanliness of the substrate in the processing space.

Furthermore, by opening and closing the lower opening of the peripheral wall member with the closing member, it is possible to carry the substrate into and out of the processing space. By vertically moving the closing member, the lower opening can be opened and closed with a simple structure and operation. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a loading/unloading port for substrates in the peripheral wall member and to provide a complicated mechanism for opening and closing the loading/unloading port.

As a result, it is possible to improve the efficiency of exposure processing with a simple and compact configuration without lowering the cleanliness of the substrate.

(2) The first gas flow path has a single opening connected to the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall member, and supplies the inert gas from the opening into the processing space in a single direction. may be provided .

In this case, there is no need to provide a member such as a pipe or nozzle for supplying the inert gas into the processing space. Moreover, it is not necessary to provide a member such as a pipe or a nozzle in the processing space for discharging the internal atmosphere to the outside of the processing space. As a result, the region in the processing space that hinders the gas flow is reduced, so particles are less likely to remain in the processing space.

(3) The first gas flow path and the second gas flow path may be formed in portions of the peripheral wall member facing each other across the processing space.

In this case, in the processing space, a smooth gas flow is formed from the first gas flow path toward the second gas flow path. As a result, the atmosphere in the processing space can be smoothly replaced with the inert gas, thereby shortening the time required to replace the atmosphere. Moreover, since the occurrence of turbulence in the processing space is suppressed, the oxygen concentration can be kept uniform in a plurality of portions in the processing space. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform uniform exposure on the substrate.

(4) The closing member may have a flat upper surface facing the exit surface, and a plurality of substrate supports may be attached to the upper surface of the closing member.

In this case, since the plurality of substrate supporting portions are commonly mounted on the flat upper surface of the closing member, when the plurality of substrate supporting portions are mounted on the closing member, the vertical positions of the plurality of substrate supporting portions can be easily adjusted. can be matched accurately. As a result, the substrate supported by the substrate supporting portion is prevented from being tilted with respect to the emission surface, and the substrate can be uniformly exposed.

(5) The exposure apparatus further includes a plurality of support pins extending vertically below the processing space and each having a plurality of upper end portions capable of supporting the substrate, and the closing member is inserted with the plurality of support pins. When the lower opening is closed by the closing member, the upper ends of the plurality of supporting pins are positioned below the upper ends of the plurality of substrate supporting portions, and the closing member The upper end portions of the plurality of support pins may be positioned above the upper ends of the plurality of substrate support portions when the lower opening is opened by the support.

In this case, when the substrate is carried into the processing space, the substrate is placed on the upper ends of the plurality of support pins from outside the exposure apparatus at a position below the processing space with the lower opening opened by the closing member. . Thereafter, when the lower opening is closed by the closing member, the closing member moves upward with respect to the plurality of support pins so that the upper ends of the plurality of substrate support portions are positioned above the upper ends of the plurality of support pins. Moving. Thereby, the substrate is passed from the plurality of support pins to the plurality of substrate supports, and the substrate is supported within the processing space.

On the other hand, when the substrate is unloaded from the processing space, the closing member moves downward relative to the support pins, so that the upper ends of the substrate supports move below the upper ends of the support pins. Thereby, the substrate is passed from the plurality of substrate supports to the plurality of support pins, and the substrate is supported below the processing space. By vertically moving the closing member in this way, it is possible to carry the substrate in and out of the processing space with a simple configuration and operation.

(6) The exposure apparatus further includes a control unit that controls the light emitting unit and the supply unit. An inert gas is supplied into the processing space at a first flow rate for a first predetermined time, and at a second flow rate that is lower than the first flow rate for a second time after the first time. The supply unit may be controlled to supply the inert gas into the processing space, and the light emission unit may be controlled to emit vacuum ultraviolet rays from the emission surface to the substrate during the second period of time.

According to the above control, after the lower opening is closed, the inert gas is supplied into the processing space at a relatively high first flow rate before exposing the substrate, and the atmosphere in the processing space is exhausted. As a result, most of the atmosphere in the processing space can be replaced with the inert gas in a short period of time.

After that, when exposing the substrate, the inert gas is supplied into the processing space at a relatively low second flow rate, and the atmosphere in the processing space is exhausted. In this case, the flow of gas generated within the processing space is reduced. As a result, particles remaining in the processing space during exposure of the substrate are prevented from being scattered by the inert gas stream. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of defective processing due to scattering of particles in the processing space during exposure of the substrate.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the efficiency of exposure processing with a simple and compact configuration without lowering the cleanliness of the substrate.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining the operation of some components of the exposure apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing some components of the exposure apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure device during exposure processing; FIG. 4 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure device during exposure processing; FIG. 4 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure device during exposure processing; FIG. 4 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure device during exposure processing; FIG. 4 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure device during exposure processing; FIG. 4 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure device during exposure processing; FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a series of processes performed by the controller in FIG. 1 to realize the operations of the exposure apparatus in FIGS. 4 to 9; FIG. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a series of processes performed by the controller in FIG. 1 to realize the operations of the exposure apparatus in FIGS. 4 to 9; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method of replacing the atmosphere in the processing space; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of a method of replacing the atmosphere in the processing space; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining still another example of a method for replacing the atmosphere within the processing space; 2 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus including the exposure apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG. and FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus according to another embodiment.

An exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the substrate means an FPD (Flat Panel Display) substrate used in a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device or the like, a semiconductor substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, or a magneto-optical disk substrate. A substrate, a photomask substrate, a ceramic substrate, a solar cell substrate, or the like. It should be noted that the substrate described below is a substrate having at least a portion of a circular shape, for example, a circular substrate formed with a notch or an orientation flat. It is also assumed that a film modified by vacuum ultraviolet rays is formed on the main surface of the substrate.

Furthermore, in the exposure apparatus described below, the main surface of the substrate faces upward and the back surface of the substrate (the surface opposite to the main surface) faces downward. UV rays (hereinafter referred to as vacuum UV rays) having a wavelength of about 120 nm or more and about 230 nm or less are irradiated from the substrate. Therefore, in the following description, the top surface of the substrate is the main surface of the substrate, and the bottom surface of the substrate is the back surface of the substrate.

[1] Configuration of Exposure Apparatus FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is a perspective view for explaining. As shown in FIG. 1, the exposure apparatus 100 includes a light emitting section 10, a peripheral wall member 20, a lower lid member 30, a substrate support mechanism 40, a gas supply system 51, a gas discharge system 52, an elevation driving section 53, and a control section 60. include.

In the exposure apparatus 100 , a processing space 20</b>S for exposing the substrate W is formed by the peripheral wall member 20 . Specifically, the peripheral wall member 20 has a flat cylindrical shape. A space surrounded by the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall member 20 is used as a processing space 20S. Moreover, the peripheral wall member 20 has an annular flat upper end surface 23 and a lower end surface 24 . An upper opening 21 is formed inside the upper end surface 23 and a lower opening 22 is formed inside the lower end surface 24 .

A light emitting portion 10 is provided above the peripheral wall member 20 so as to close the upper opening 21 of the peripheral wall member 20 . The light emitting section 10 includes a housing 11 , a transparent plate 13 , a planar light source section 14 and a power supply device 15 .

The housing 11 has a bottom wall portion 11a, a rectangular cylindrical peripheral wall portion 11b, and a ceiling portion 11c. An internal space 10S is formed by the bottom wall portion 11a, the peripheral wall portion 11b, and the ceiling portion 11c. In FIG. 2, only the housing 11 of the light emitting section 10 is indicated by a dashed line.

As shown in FIG. 1, a lower opening 12 is formed in the bottom wall portion 11a of the housing 11. As shown in FIG. The lower opening 12 has, for example, a circular shape. The inner diameter of the lower opening 12 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the peripheral wall member 20 . The light-transmitting plate 13 is attached to the bottom wall portion 11 a so as to block the lower opening 12 . In this embodiment, the transparent plate 13 is a quartz glass plate. As the material of the translucent plate 13, another material that transmits vacuum ultraviolet rays may be used.

The light source section 14 and the power supply device 15 are accommodated in the internal space 10S of the housing 11 . The light source unit 14 has a configuration in which a plurality of bar-shaped light source elements LE for emitting vacuum ultraviolet rays are horizontally arranged at predetermined intervals. Each light source element LE may be, for example, a xenon excimer lamp, another excimer lamp, a deuterium lamp, or the like. The power supply device 15 supplies power to the light source section 14 .

The upper end surface 23 of the peripheral wall member 20 is connected to the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 11a such that the lower surface of the light transmitting plate 13 faces the processing space 20S as the output surface 13S. With such a configuration, the vacuum ultraviolet rays generated from the light source section 14 are emitted into the processing space 20S through the emission surface 13S.

The lower lid member 30 is provided below the peripheral wall member 20 so as to be vertically movable. Further, the lower lid member 30 is configured to be able to close and open the lower opening 22 by moving in the vertical direction. Hereinafter, the position where the lower lid member 30 closes the lower opening 22 is called the lid closed position, and the position where the lower lid member 30 opens the lower opening 22 is called the lid open position. The lift drive unit 53 includes, for example, a stepping motor, and moves the lower lid member 30 vertically between the lid closed position and the lid open position, as indicated by the thick dotted arrow in FIG.

The lower lid member 30 has a flat upper surface 31 facing the emission surface 13S of the light emission section 10 . A seal member 39 is attached to the upper surface 31 of the lower lid member 30 as shown in FIG. When the lower lid member 30 is in the lid closed position, the seal member 39 is in close contact with the portion of the lower end surface 24 of the peripheral wall member 20 surrounding the lower opening 22 . The sealing member 39 is made of, for example, an O-ring.

A plurality of (three in this example) supporting members 38 configured to support the lower surface of the substrate W are attached to the upper surface 31 of the lower lid member 30 . Each support member 38 is a spherical proximity ball and is made of, for example, ceramic.

Furthermore, a plurality of through holes 32 corresponding to a plurality of support pins 41, which will be described later, are formed in the central portion of the lower lid member 30. As shown in FIG. Further, a plurality of storage tubes 33 are provided so as to extend downward for a certain distance in the portion where the plurality of through holes 32 are formed on the lower surface of the lower lid member 30 . Each accommodation tube 33 has the same inner diameter as the through hole 32 . An inward flange is formed at the lower end of the accommodation tube 33 so as to extend from the inner peripheral surface of the accommodation tube 33 toward its axis.

The substrate support mechanism 40 includes a plurality (three in this example) of support pins 41 and pin connecting members 42 . Each support pin 41 includes a tip member 41a and a support shaft 41b. The plurality of support shafts 41b are provided so as to extend in the vertical direction, and are inserted into the plurality of through holes 32 and the plurality of storage tubes 33 of the lower lid member 30, respectively. The pin connecting member 42 connects the lower end portions of the plurality of support shafts 41 b and is fixed to the base portion (not shown) of the exposure apparatus 100 . The plurality of tip members 41a are provided at upper end portions of the plurality of support shafts 41b, respectively, and are made of, for example, ceramic or resin.

When the lower lid member 30 is in the lid open position, the plurality of tip members 41a (the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 41) are positioned above the upper ends of the plurality of support members 38 attached to the lower lid member 30. . Thereby, as shown in FIG. 1, the substrate W to be processed can be placed on the plurality of tip members 41a. At this time, the upper surface of the substrate W faces the emission surface 13S of the light emission section 10. As shown in FIG.

When the lower lid member 30 moves upward from the lid open position to the lid closed position, the plurality of tip members 41 a of the substrate support mechanism 40 are accommodated inside the storage tube 33 through the plurality of through holes 32 of the lower lid member 30 . be done. Therefore, when the lower lid member 30 is in the lid closed position, the plurality of tip members 41a (the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 41) are positioned below the upper ends of the plurality of support members 38 attached to the lower lid member 30. To position. Thereby, the substrate W supported on the tip members 41 a is transferred to the support members 38 .

Here, each tip member 41a of the substrate support mechanism 40 is formed with an outward flange having a diameter larger than that of the support shaft 41b. On the other hand, a seal member (not shown) capable of coming into contact with the lower surface of the outward flange of the tip member 41a is provided on the upper surface of the inward flange formed at the lower end of each of the plurality of storage tubes 33 . . These sealing members are, for example, O-rings. Each sealing member also controls the flow of gas between the processing space 20S, the inner space of the through hole 32, the inner space of the storage tube 33, and the outside of the processing space 20S when the lower lid member 30 is in the lid closed position. block the Thereby, the processing space 20S is sealed.

The gas supply system 51 of FIG. 1 includes a pipe 51a, an inert gas supply source (not shown), a valve (not shown), and the like. The gas exhaust system 52 also includes a pipe 52a, a valve (not shown), an exhaust facility (not shown), and the like.

A first gas flow path 25 and a second gas flow path 26 are formed inside the peripheral wall member 20 to communicate the outside of the peripheral wall member 20 and the processing space 20S. In the peripheral wall member 20, the first gas flow path 25 and the second gas flow path 26 are formed so as to face each other with the processing space 20S interposed therebetween (see FIG. 3 described later).

Each of the first and second gas flow paths 25 and 26 is configured by a through hole formed from the outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall member 20 . A pipe 51 a extending from a gas supply system 51 is connected to the first gas flow path 25 . A pipe 52 a extending from a gas discharge system 52 is connected to the second gas flow path 26 .

The gas supply system 51 supplies an inert gas from an inert gas supply source (not shown) to the processing space 20S through the pipe 51a and the first gas flow path 25 . In this embodiment, nitrogen gas is used as the inert gas. The gas discharge system 52 discharges the atmosphere of the processing space 20S of the peripheral wall member 20 to the outside of the peripheral wall member 20 through the second gas flow path 26 and the pipe 52a.

An oxygen concentration meter 29 is provided in the pipe 52a. The oxygen concentration meter 29 measures the oxygen concentration of the gas flowing through the pipe 52a as the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S, and provides the measured oxygen concentration to the control unit 60 at predetermined intervals. The oxygen concentration meter 29 is, for example, a galvanic cell type oxygen sensor or a zirconia type oxygen sensor.

The control unit 60 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. Various control programs are stored in the memory of the control unit 60 . By executing the control program stored in the memory by the CPU of the control unit 60, the operation of each component in the exposure apparatus 100 is controlled as indicated by the dashed-dotted arrows in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing some components of the exposure apparatus 100 of FIG. In FIG. 3, the outer shape of the housing 11 of the light emitting section 10 and the lower opening 12 are indicated by dashed lines. Further, in FIG. 3, a dot pattern is attached to the substrate W, and a dot pattern is attached to the peripheral wall member 20 so as to facilitate understanding of the positional and size relationship between the substrate W accommodated in the processing space 20S and the peripheral wall member 20. It is hatched.

As shown in FIG. 3, during the exposure process, the substrate W is supported by the substrate support mechanism 40 (FIG. 1) so as to be positioned substantially in the center of the processing space 20S. In this state, the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall member 20 faces the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. Also, the distance between the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall member 20 is kept substantially constant.

Also, in FIG. 3, three through holes 32 formed in the lower lid member 30 and three support members 38 attached to the lower lid member 30 are indicated by dotted lines. As shown in FIG. 3, the three through holes 32 are formed at regular intervals on a first imaginary circle cr1 based on the center 30C of the lower lid member 30 in plan view. On the other hand, the three support members 38 are formed at equal intervals on a second imaginary circle cr2 with the center 30C of the lower lid member 30 as a reference in plan view. Here, the second virtual circle cr2 is larger than the first virtual circle cr1 and has a size of about half the diameter of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. Accordingly, when the substrate W is supported by the three support members 38 , the substrate W is more stably supported than when the substrate W is supported by the three through holes 32 .

Here, when the diameter D1 of the substrate W to be exposed by the exposure apparatus 100 is 300 mm, the inner diameter D2 of the peripheral wall member 20 is, for example, greater than 300 mm and less than or equal to 400 mm, and more than 300 mm and less than or equal to 350 mm. Preferably, it is greater than 300 mm and less than or equal to 320 mm. The inner diameter D2 of the peripheral wall member 20 of this example is 310 mm.

The thickness (height) of the peripheral wall member 20 is, for example, greater than 5 mm and 50 mm or less, preferably greater than 5 mm and 20 mm or less. The thickness (height) of the peripheral wall member 20 of this example is 10 mm.

[2] Basic operation of the exposure apparatus 100 during exposure processing As described above, in the exposure apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the substrate W to be processed is irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of, for example, 172 nm. Thus, exposure processing is performed. Here, when a large amount of oxygen exists on the path of the vacuum ultraviolet rays toward the substrate W, the oxygen molecules absorb the vacuum ultraviolet rays and separate into oxygen atoms, and the separated oxygen atoms recombine with other oxygen molecules. Ozone is generated by In this case, the vacuum ultraviolet rays reaching the substrate W are attenuated. Attenuation of vacuum ultraviolet rays is greater than that of ultraviolet rays with wavelengths longer than about 230 nm. Therefore, in the exposure apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the substrate W is irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet rays in the processing space 20S in which the oxygen concentration is kept low. The basic operation of exposure apparatus 100 during exposure processing will be described below.

4 to 9 are schematic side views for explaining the basic operation of exposure apparatus 100 during exposure processing. 4 to 9, the lid open position pa1 and the lid closed position pa2 are respectively indicated by the height positions of the upper surface 31 (FIG. 1) of the lower lid member 30. FIG.

Assume that the lower lid member 30 is in the lid closed position pa2 in the initial state before the exposure apparatus 100 is powered on. When the exposure apparatus 100 is powered on, the lower lid member 30 moves to the lid open position pa1 as indicated by the white arrow a1 in FIG.

Next, the substrate W is carried into the exposure apparatus 100 from the outside while the tip members 41 a of the substrate support mechanism 40 are positioned below the peripheral wall member 20 . In this case, as indicated by an outline arrow a2 in FIG. 5, the substrate W transported by a transport device (not shown) is moved from the side of the exposure device 100 into the space between the peripheral wall member 20 and the plurality of tip members 41a. It is inserted and rests on a plurality of tip members 41a. In this state, the upper surface of the substrate W faces the emission surface 13S of the light emission section 10 across the processing space 20S. The transport device is, for example, the transport device 220 shown in FIG. 15, which will be described later.

Next, as indicated by an outline arrow a3 in FIG. 6, the lower lid member 30 moves to the lid closed position pa2. As a result, the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 is closed by the lower lid member 30 while the substrate W is accommodated in the processing space 20S. Further, the substrate W is supported by a plurality of supporting members 38 within the processing space 20S. Furthermore, the lower ends of the plurality of storage tubes 33 provided in the lower lid member 30 are closed by the plurality of tip members 41a and a sealing member (not shown). Thereby, the processing space 20S is sealed.

In this state, inert gas is supplied into the processing space 20S from the gas supply system 51 of FIG. Also, the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is discharged to the outside of the exposure apparatus 100 through the second gas flow path 26 by the gas discharge system 52 of FIG. As a result, the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is gradually replaced with the inert gas, and the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S decreases.

After that, when the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S decreases to a predetermined concentration (hereinafter referred to as the target oxygen concentration), as indicated by the thick solid arrow in FIG. The upper surface of the substrate W is irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet rays through the emission surface 13S. Here, the target oxygen concentration is, for example, when the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 is opened after the exposure process, the concentration of ozone in the vicinity of the peripheral wall member 20 is equal to or lower than the previously allowed concentration (0.1 ppm). , for example 1%. Whether or not the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S has decreased to the target oxygen concentration can be determined, for example, based on the signal output from the oxygen concentration meter 29 in FIG. While the substrate W is irradiated with the vacuum ultraviolet rays, the operation of replacing the atmosphere in the processing space 20S with the inert gas may be continued or stopped.

When the exposure amount of the vacuum ultraviolet rays irradiated onto the substrate W (the energy of the vacuum ultraviolet rays irradiated per unit area on the substrate) reaches a predetermined set exposure amount, the irradiation of the upper surface of the substrate W with the vacuum ultraviolet rays is stopped. be done. By exposing the upper surface of the substrate W in this way, the film formed on the substrate W is modified according to the predetermined exposure conditions.

Here, it is assumed that the illuminance of the vacuum ultraviolet rays irradiated to the substrate W under the environment of the target oxygen concentration (the power of the vacuum ultraviolet rays irradiated per unit area on the substrate) is known. In this case, the exposure amount of the vacuum ultraviolet rays applied to the substrate W is determined based on the illuminance of the vacuum ultraviolet rays and the irradiation time of the vacuum ultraviolet rays. In the present embodiment, whether or not the exposure amount of the vacuum ultraviolet rays applied to the substrate W has reached the predetermined set exposure amount is determined by the time corresponding to the set exposure amount ( exposure time) has elapsed.

After the irradiation of the upper surface of the substrate W with the vacuum ultraviolet rays is stopped, the lower lid member 30 moves to the lid open position pa1 as indicated by the outline arrow a4 in FIG. As a result, the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 is opened, and the substrate W is taken out below the processing space 20S while being supported on the plurality of tip members 41a.

Finally, the substrate W supported on the plurality of tip members 41a is received by a transport device (not shown) and transported to the side of the exposure apparatus 100, as indicated by white arrows a5 in FIG. The transport device is, for example, the transport device 220 shown in FIG. 15, which will be described later.

[3] A series of processes performed by the control unit 60 during exposure processing FIGS. 10 and 11 show a series of processes performed by the control unit 60 of FIG. 1 to realize the operations of the exposure apparatus 100 of FIGS. 4 to 9. It is a flow chart showing. A series of processes shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is started by, for example, switching the power supply of exposure apparatus 100 from an off state to an on state. First, the control section 60 moves the lower lid member 30 to the lid open position pa1 by controlling the elevation driving section 53 of FIG. 1 (step S1).

Next, the controller 60 determines whether or not the substrate W is placed on the tip members 41a (step S2). For example, this determination may be performed based on the output from a sensor (for example, a photoelectric sensor or the like) that detects the presence or absence of the substrate W on the substrate support mechanism 40 provided in the exposure apparatus 100 . Alternatively, it may be performed based on a command signal from a control device external to exposure apparatus 100 (for example, control device 210 in FIG. 15, which will be described later).

When the substrate W is not placed on the tip members 41 a , the controller 60 repeats the process of step S<b>2 until the substrate W is placed on the tip members 41 a of the support pins 41 . On the other hand, when the substrate W is placed on the plurality of tip end members 41a, the control unit 60 controls the elevation driving unit 53 of FIG. 1 to move the lower lid member 30 to the lid closed position pa2 (step S3).

Next, the controller 60 exhausts the atmosphere in the processing space 20S of the peripheral wall member 20 by controlling the gas exhaust system 52 of FIG. 1 (step S4). Further, the control unit 60 supplies the inert gas into the processing space 20S of the peripheral wall member 20 by controlling the gas supply system 51 of FIG. 1 (step S5). Either one of the processes of steps S4 and S5 may be performed first, or may be performed simultaneously.

Next, the control unit 60 determines whether the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S has decreased to the target oxygen concentration based on the oxygen concentration measured by the oxygen concentration meter 29 of FIG. 1 (step S6).

If the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S does not decrease to the target oxygen concentration, the control section 60 repeats the process of step S6 until the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S reaches the target oxygen concentration. On the other hand, when the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S decreases to the target oxygen concentration, the control unit 60 controls the light emitting unit 10 of FIG. is emitted (step S7). As a result, the substrate W is irradiated with the vacuum ultraviolet rays, and the film formed on the substrate W is modified.

Next, the control unit 60 determines whether or not the set exposure time has elapsed since the light source unit 14 started emitting vacuum ultraviolet rays (step S8). If the set exposure time has not elapsed, the control section 60 repeats the process of step S8 until the set exposure time has elapsed. On the other hand, when the set exposure time has passed, the control section 60 stops the emission of the vacuum ultraviolet rays from the light emission section 10 (step S9).

Next, the controller 60 stops exhausting the atmosphere in the processing space 20S by controlling the gas exhaust system 52 of FIG. 1 (step S10). Further, the control unit 60 stops the supply of the inert gas into the processing space 20S by controlling the gas supply system 51 of FIG. 1 (step S11). Some of the processes of steps S9, S10, and S11 may be performed first, or all of the processes may be performed simultaneously.

Next, the control section 60 moves the lower lid member 30 to the lid open position pa1 by controlling the elevation driving section 53 of FIG. 1 (step S12). After that, the control unit 60 determines whether or not the substrate W has been transported from above the tip members 41a (step S13). Similar to the processing in step S2, for example, a sensor (for example, a photoelectric sensor or the like) that detects the presence or absence of the substrate W on the substrate support mechanism 40 is provided in the exposure apparatus 100, and this determination is performed based on the output from the sensor. may be broken. Alternatively, it may be performed based on a command signal from a control device external to exposure apparatus 100 (for example, control device 210 in FIG. 15, which will be described later). When the substrate W is not transported, the control section 60 repeats the process of step S13 until the substrate W is transported. On the other hand, when the substrate W is transported, the controller 60 returns to the process of step S2.

[4] Method for Replacing the Atmosphere in the Processing Space 20S As described above, in the exposure apparatus 100, the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is exhausted and the processing space 20S is discharged in order to reduce the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S. An inert gas is supplied to the interior of the processing space 20S to replace the atmosphere in the processing space 20S with the inert gas.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for replacing the atmosphere in the processing space 20S. FIG. 12 is a graph showing temporal changes in the amount of inert gas supplied to the processing space 20S during exposure processing. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the amount of inert gas supplied to and discharged from the processing space 20S during exposure processing is the same. The vertical axis in FIG. 12 represents the amount of inert gas supplied, and the horizontal axis represents time.

With respect to the time axis of FIG. 12, it is assumed that the substrate W is loaded into the exposure apparatus 100 at time t0. Assume that at time t<b>1 , the loaded substrate W is accommodated in the processing space 20</b>S and the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 is closed by the lower lid member 30 . Assume that at time t2, irradiation of the substrate W in the processing space 20S with vacuum ultraviolet rays is started. Assume that at time t3, the irradiation of the substrate W in the processing space 20S with the vacuum ultraviolet rays is stopped. It is also assumed that the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 is opened at time t4.

In the example of FIG. 12, the supply amount (and exhaust amount) of the inert gas is maintained at 0 from time t0 to t1. Subsequently, the inert gas supply amount (and exhaust amount) is maintained at a relatively high value α from time t1 to t2, and the inert gas supply amount (and exhaust amount) is higher than the value α from time t2 to t3. maintained at a low value β. After that, from time t3 to time t4, the supply amount (and the exhaust amount) of the inert gas is maintained at zero.

According to this replacement method, the inert gas is supplied into the processing space 20S at a relatively high flow rate (value α) from time t1 to t2 before the substrate W is exposed, and the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is discharged. be. As a result, most of the atmosphere in the processing space 20S can be replaced with the inert gas in a short period of time. That is, the oxygen concentration can be lowered in a short period of time.

After that, when the substrate W is exposed, the inert gas is supplied into the processing space 20S at a relatively low flow rate (value β). In this case, the flow of gas generated within the processing space is reduced. As a result, particles remaining in the processing space 20S during the exposure of the substrate W are prevented from being scattered by the inert gas stream. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of defective processing due to scattering of particles in the processing space 20S during exposure of the substrate W. FIG.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining another example of the method of replacing the atmosphere in the processing space 20S. Similar to the example of FIG. 12, FIG. 13 is a graph showing temporal changes in the amount of inert gas supplied to the processing space 20S during exposure processing. With respect to the time axis of FIG. 13, times t0, t1, t2, t3, t4 are the same as times t0, t1, t2, t3, t4 of FIG.

In the example of FIG. 13, the supply amount (and exhaust amount) of the inert gas is maintained at 0 from time t0 to t1. Subsequently, the inert gas supply amount (and exhaust amount) is maintained at a relatively high value α from time t1 to t3. After that, from time t3 to time t4, the supply amount (and the exhaust amount) of the inert gas is maintained at zero. According to such a replacement method, while the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 is closed by the lower cover member 30, the inert gas is always supplied to the processing space 20S at a high flow rate. Thereby, it is easy to maintain the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S in a low state. Also, in this case, ozone generated by exposure from time t2 to t3 can be easily discharged from the processing space 20S. Furthermore, according to this replacement method, it is not necessary to switch the supply amount (and exhaust amount) of the inert gas between a plurality of values. Therefore, the configurations of the gas supply system 51 and the gas discharge system 52 can be simplified.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining still another example of the method of replacing the atmosphere in the processing space 20S. Similar to the example of FIG. 12, FIG. 14 is a graph showing temporal changes in the amount of inert gas supplied to the processing space 20S during exposure processing. With respect to the time axis of FIG. 14, times t0, t1, t2, t3 and t4 are the same as times t0, t1, t2, t3 and t4 of FIG.

In the example of FIG. 14, the supply amount (and exhaust amount) of the inert gas is maintained at a relatively high value α from time t0 to t4. According to such a replacement method, the inert gas is supplied into the processing space 20S even while the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 is open. Therefore, when the lower opening 22 is closed by the lower lid member 30, the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S is kept low to some extent. As a result, after the lower opening 22 is closed by the lower lid member 30, the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S can be brought closer to the target oxygen concentration in a shorter period of time. Also, the amount of ozone generated can be further suppressed.

[5] Effects (1) In the exposure apparatus 100 described above, since the peripheral wall member 20 has a cylindrical shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate W, the volume of the processing space 20S can be reduced. As a result, the atmosphere in the processing space 20S can be quickly replaced with the inert gas. Therefore, the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S can be lowered in a short time.

Further, the processing space 20S formed by the cylindrical peripheral wall member 20 does not have a corner where the gas stays. Therefore, a smooth gas flow is formed along the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall member 20 when replacing the atmosphere of the processing space 20S with the inert gas. As a result, particles are less likely to remain in the processing space 20S. Therefore, it is possible to improve the cleanliness of the substrates W in the processing space 20S.

Furthermore, by opening and closing the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 with the lower lid member 30, it is possible to carry the substrate W into and out of the processing space 20S. By moving the lower cover member 30 in the vertical direction, the lower opening 22 can be opened and closed with a simple structure and operation. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a loading/unloading port for the substrate W in the peripheral wall member 20 and to provide a complicated structure for opening and closing the loading/unloading port.

As a result, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the exposure process without lowering the cleanliness of the substrate W with a simple and compact configuration.

(2) As described above, the first gas flow path 25 and the second gas flow path 26 are formed inside the peripheral wall member 20 . Inert gas is directly supplied into the processing space 20</b>S through the first gas flow path 25 . Also, the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is directly discharged through the second gas flow path 26 .

With such a configuration, there is no need to provide a member such as a pipe or nozzle for supplying the inert gas into the processing space 20S. Further, there is no need to provide a member such as a pipe or a nozzle in the processing space 20S for discharging the atmosphere inside the processing space 20S to the outside of the processing space 20S. As a result, the region that hinders the flow of gas in the processing space 20S is reduced, so particles are less likely to remain in the processing space 20S.

(3) In the peripheral wall member 20, the first gas flow path 25 and the second gas flow path 26 are formed to face each other across the processing space 20S. In this case, a smooth gas flow is formed from the first gas flow path 25 toward the second gas flow path 26 . As a result, the atmosphere in the processing space 20S can be smoothly replaced with the inert gas, thereby shortening the time required to replace the atmosphere. Moreover, since the occurrence of turbulent flow within the processing space 20S is suppressed, the oxygen concentration can be kept uniform in a plurality of portions within the processing space 20S. Therefore, the substrate W can be exposed uniformly.

(4) In the exposure apparatus 100 described above, the substrate W to be processed is supported by the plurality of support members 38 while being accommodated in the processing space 20S. Here, since the plurality of support members 38 are commonly attached to the flat upper surface 31 of the lower lid member 30, when the plurality of support members 38 are attached to the lower lid member 30, the plurality of support members 38 do not move vertically. can be easily and accurately aligned. As a result, the substrate W supported by the plurality of support members 38 is prevented from tilting with respect to the emission surface 13S of the light emission section 10, and the substrate W can be uniformly exposed.

(5) In the above-described exposure apparatus 100, the lower cover member 30 moves vertically, so that the substrate W can be loaded into the processing space 20S and unloaded from the processing space 20S with a simple configuration and operation. Realized.

[6] Substrate Processing Apparatus Equipped with Exposure Apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 FIG. 15 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus provided with the exposure apparatus 100 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 15 , the substrate processing apparatus 200 includes a control device 210 , a transport device 220 , a heat treatment device 230 , a coating device 240 and a developing device 250 in addition to the exposure device 100 .

The control device 210 includes, for example, a CPU and memory or a microcomputer, and controls operations of the exposure device 100 , the transport device 220 , the heat treatment device 230 , the coating device 240 and the development device 250 .

The transport device 220 transports the substrate W between the exposure device 100 , the heat treatment device 230 , the coating device 240 and the development device 250 during processing of the substrate W by the substrate processing device 200 .

The heat treatment device 230 heats the substrate W before and after the coating process by the coating device 240 and the development process by the development device 250 . The coating device 240 coats the upper surface of the substrate W with a predetermined treatment liquid, thereby forming a film on the upper surface of the substrate W that is modified by vacuum ultraviolet rays. Specifically, the coating device 240 of this example coats the upper surface of the substrate W with the treatment liquid containing the induced self-assembly material. In this case, a pattern of two polymers is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W due to the microphase separation that occurs in the induced self-assembled material.

The exposure device 100 irradiates the upper surface of the substrate W on which the film is formed by the coating device 240 with vacuum ultraviolet rays. Thereby, the bond between the two types of polymer patterns formed on the substrate W is broken.

The developing device 250 supplies the substrate W with a solvent as a developer for removing one of the two polymer patterns after exposure. As a result, a pattern made of the other polymer remains on the substrate W. FIG.

Note that the coating device 240 applies a predetermined treatment liquid to the substrate so that an SOC (Spin-On-Carbon) film is formed instead of the film containing the induced self-assembly material as the film to be modified by the vacuum ultraviolet rays. It may be applied to the upper surface of W. In this case, the SOC film can be modified by exposing the substrate W with the SOC film formed thereon to vacuum ultraviolet rays.

When the coating device 240 forms the SOC film, the coating device 240 may further form a resist film on the SOC film after the exposure processing. In this case, after the substrate W on which the resist film is formed is exposed by an exposure device provided outside the substrate processing apparatus 200, the developing device 250 may perform development processing on the substrate W after the exposure.

According to the exposure apparatus 100 described above, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the exposure process without lowering the cleanliness of the substrate W with a simple and compact configuration. Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 200 of FIG. 15, the processing accuracy of the substrate W can be improved, and the manufacturing cost of the substrate W can be reduced.

[7] Other Embodiments (1) In the exposure apparatus 100 according to the above embodiment, the inert gas supplied to the first gas flow path 25 is directly supplied into the processing space 20S, The atmosphere in 20S is discharged directly from the second gas flow path 26. FIG. Therefore, there are no members used for gas supply and discharge such as nozzles in the processing space 20S, but the present invention is not limited to this. A member for controlling the flow of gas generated in the processing space 20S may be provided in the processing space 20S.

(2) In exposure apparatus 100 according to the above embodiment, first gas flow path 25 and second gas flow path 26 may be formed in lower cover member 30 instead of peripheral wall member 20 .

(3) In the exposure apparatus 100 according to the above embodiment, the exposure process is performed while the substrate W accommodated in the processing space 20S is supported by the plurality of support members 38 attached to the lower lid member 30. However, the invention is not so limited.

Instead of attaching the plurality of support members 38 to the lower lid member 30, the substrate support mechanism 40 may be provided so as to be vertically movable. FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of exposure apparatus 100 according to another embodiment. Differences of the exposure apparatus 100 of FIG. 16 from the exposure apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 will be described.

In the exposure apparatus 100 of FIG. 16, the plurality of support members 38 (FIG. 1) and the plurality of storage tubes 33 (FIG. 1) are not attached to the lower lid member 30 . On the other hand, the substrate support mechanism 40 is provided so as to be vertically movable with respect to the base portion of the exposure apparatus 100 with the plurality of support pins 41 inserted into the plurality of through holes 32 of the lower cover member 30 . there is The exposure apparatus 100 of FIG. 16 further includes an elevation driving section 54 for vertically moving the substrate support mechanism 40 .

Here, the vertical position of the substrate support mechanism 40 when the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 41 are positioned within the processing space 20S is called a processing position, and the position a certain distance below the processing position is called a standby position.

The elevation drive unit 54 includes, for example, a stepping motor, and is configured to be able to vertically move the substrate support mechanism 40 between the processing position and the standby position. With such a configuration, in this example, the substrate W loaded from the outside of the exposure apparatus 100 is positioned at the substrate support mechanism 40 in a state where the lower lid member 30 is at the lid open position pa1 and the substrate support mechanism 40 is at the standby position. are received by a plurality of tip members 41a.

When the substrate W carried into the exposure apparatus 100 is received by the substrate support mechanism 40, the lower lid member 30 moves to the lid closing position pa2 and the substrate support mechanism 40 moves to the processing position. Thereby, the substrate W is accommodated in the processing space 20S. A substrate W supported by a plurality of tip members 41a is irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet rays.

When the exposure of the substrate W is completed, the lower lid member 30 moves to the lid open position pa1 and the substrate support mechanism 40 moves to the standby position. Thereby, the substrate W is taken out below the processing space 20S. Finally, the substrate W supported by the plurality of tip members 41 a is carried out of the exposure apparatus 100 .

In the above configuration, the plurality of distal end members 41a and the lower lid member 30 are configured to be able to close the plurality of through holes 32 when the lower lid member 30 and the substrate support mechanism 40 are at the lid closing position pa2 and the processing position, respectively. be done. Thereby, the sealed state of the processing space 20S during the exposure processing is ensured.

In the exposure apparatus 100 of FIG. 16, if the sealed state of the processing space 20S is ensured, the distance between the emission surface 13S of the light emission unit 10 and the substrate W may vary depending on the type of the substrate W and the content of the processing. distance can be adjusted. In this case, the exposure time can be shortened by reducing the distance between the emission surface 13S of the light emission section 10 and the substrate W. This makes it possible to improve the efficiency of exposure processing.

In the example of FIG. 16, the up-and-down drive units 53 and 54 are individually provided as a configuration for driving the lower lid member 30 and the substrate support mechanism 40, but the present invention is not limited to this.

The exposure apparatus 100 of FIG. 16 may be provided with a single elevation driving section capable of driving both the lower lid member 30 and the substrate support mechanism 40 instead of the elevation driving sections 53 and 54 .

The elevation drive section may include, for example, one motor and a first cam and a second cam provided on the rotating shaft of the motor. In this case, the first cam is configured to be able to move the lower lid member 30 up and down between the lid open position pa1 and the lid closed position pa2 by the rotational force generated by the motor. Also, the second cam is configured to be able to move the substrate support mechanism 40 up and down between the standby position and the processing position by the rotational force generated by the motor.

Alternatively, the elevation drive section may include, for example, one air cylinder and a rod-shaped shaft member. In this case, the lower lid member 30 and the substrate support mechanism 40 are attached to the shaft member. In this configuration, for example, the air cylinder vertically moves the other end of the shaft member while the one end of the shaft member is fixed. As a result, the lower lid member 30 moves up and down between the lid open position pa1 and the lid closed position pa2, and the substrate support mechanism 40 moves up and down between the standby position and the processing position.

According to the above configuration, the number of parts of the exposure apparatus 100 is reduced and the compactness of the exposure apparatus 100 is realized.

(4) In the exposure apparatus 100 according to the above embodiment, the tip member 41a is provided in the substrate support mechanism 40 to seal the processing space 20S, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if extremely high airtightness is not required for the processing space 20S, the substrate support mechanism 40 may not be provided with the tip member 41a.

(5) In the above embodiment, the amount of inert gas supplied to and discharged from the processing space 20S during the exposure process are the same, but the present invention is not limited to this. The supply amount and discharge amount of the inert gas to the processing space 20S during exposure processing may be different from each other. For example, the discharge amount of the atmosphere in the processing space 20S may be small relative to the supply amount of the inert gas, or the discharge amount of the atmosphere in the processing space 20S may be large relative to the supply amount of the inert gas. .

(6) In the exposure apparatus 100 according to the above embodiment, whether or not the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S has decreased to the target oxygen concentration is determined based on the output of the oxygen concentration meter 29 during exposure processing. However, the invention is not so limited.

For example, when the time required for the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S to reach the target oxygen concentration from the time when the lower opening 22 is closed (hereinafter referred to as the concentration reaching time) is known, the above determination may be performed based on the concentration arrival time. In this case, the oxygen concentration meter 29 becomes unnecessary and the configuration of the exposure apparatus 100 is simplified.

[8] Correspondence Relationship Between Each Component of Claims and Each Element of Embodiment An example of correspondence between each component of a claim and each element of an embodiment will be described below. In the above embodiments, the lower lid member 30 is an example of the closing member, the support member 38 is an example of the substrate support portion, the gas supply system 51 is an example of the supply portion, and the gas discharge system 52 is an example of the discharge portion. 12 to 14 is an example of the first time, the value α in FIGS. 12 to 14 is an example of the first flow rate, and the time t2 in FIGS. ˜t3 is an example of a second time, and the value β in FIGS. 12 to 14 is an example of a second flow rate.

Various other elements having the structure or function described in the claims can be used as each component of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Light-emitting part, 10S... Internal space, 11... Housing, 11a... Bottom wall part, 11b... Peripheral wall part, 11c... Ceiling part, 12, 22... Lower opening, 13... Translucent plate, 13S... Output surface, 14 Light source unit 15 Power supply device 20 Surrounding wall member 20S Processing space 21 Upper opening 23 Upper end surface 24 Lower end surface 25 First gas flow path 26 Second gas flow Path 29 Oxygen concentration meter 30 Lower cover member 31 Upper surface 32 Through hole 33 Accommodating tube 38 Support member 39 Seal member 40 Substrate support mechanism 41 Support pin 41a Tip member 41b Support shaft 42 Pin connection member 51 Gas supply system 51a, 52a Piping 52 Gas discharge system 53, 54 Elevation drive unit 60 Control unit 100 Exposure device , 200 Substrate processing apparatus 210 Control device 220 Transfer device 230 Heat treatment device 240 Coating device 250 Developing device cr1 First virtual circle cr2 Second virtual circle LE light source elements pa1 lid open position pa2 lid closed position pb1 standby position pb2 processing position t0 to t4 time points W substrate

Claims (6)

An exposure apparatus that performs exposure processing on a substrate at least partially circular,
a cylindrical peripheral wall member forming a processing space capable of accommodating the substrate and having an upper opening and a lower opening;
a light emitting part provided above the peripheral wall member so as to block the upper opening of the peripheral wall member and having an emission surface capable of emitting vacuum ultraviolet rays to the processing space;
a closing member provided movably in the vertical direction below the peripheral wall member and capable of closing and opening the lower opening;
a substrate supporting portion that supports the substrate between the exit surface and the closing member so that the substrate faces the exit surface;
a supply unit for supplying an inert gas to the processing space in a state in which the substrate is supported by the substrate supporting unit in the processing space and the lower opening is closed by the closing member;
a discharge part for discharging the atmosphere in the processing space to the outside of the processing space in a state in which the substrate is supported by the substrate support in the processing space and the lower opening is closed by the closing member;
A first gas flow path and a second gas flow path are formed in the interior of the peripheral wall member for communicating the outside of the peripheral wall member and the processing space,
The supply unit is provided so as to be able to supply an inert gas into the processing space through the first gas flow path,
The discharge unit is provided so as to be able to discharge the atmosphere in the processing space to the outside of the processing space through the second gas flow path,
The exposure apparatus, wherein the first gas flow path and the second gas flow path are provided above a substrate supported by the substrate support section within the processing space. The first gas flow path has a single opening connected to the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall member, and is provided so as to be able to supply the inert gas from the opening into the processing space in a single direction. 2. The exposure apparatus of claim 1, further comprising : 3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first gas flow path and said second gas flow path are formed in portions of said peripheral wall member facing each other across said processing space. The closing member has a flat upper surface facing the exit surface,
4. The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of said substrate supports are attached to said upper surface of said closing member. further comprising a plurality of support pins each having a plurality of upper end portions extending vertically below the processing space and capable of supporting the substrate;
The closing member has a plurality of through holes into which the plurality of support pins are inserted,
When the lower opening is closed by the closing member, the upper end portions of the plurality of support pins are positioned below the upper ends of the plurality of substrate supporting portions, and the lower opening is closed by the closing member. 5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein upper ends of said plurality of support pins are positioned above upper ends of said plurality of substrate support portions when the opening is opened. further comprising a control unit that controls the light emitting unit and the supply unit;
The control unit controls the processing at a first flow rate during a predetermined first time from a point in time when the substrate is supported by the substrate supporting unit and the lower opening is closed by the closing member in the processing space. An inert gas is supplied into the space, and the inert gas is supplied into the processing space at a second flow rate that is lower than the first flow rate for a second period of time from the elapse of the first time. 6. The light emitting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the supply unit is controlled during the second period of time, and the light emitting unit is controlled so that the vacuum ultraviolet rays are emitted from the emitting surface to the substrate during the second time. exposure equipment.

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