JPH01214022A - Apparatus for adjusting temperature of chemical liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an apparatus which can surely adjust a temperature of a chemical liquid so as to be a prescribed temperature even if the chemical liquid such as a resist liquid to be supplied to the surface of a wafer is influenced by an outside temperature around a chemical-liquid pipe by a method wherein a temperature-measuring resistor used to detect a temperature of the constant-temperature water is installed inside a heat exchanger situated near a bent part of the constant-temperature water. CONSTITUTION:A chemical-liquid pipe 6 where a chemical liquid (R) flows and a heat exchanger 8 installed along the chemical-liquid pipe 6 are provided; the chemical liquid (R) is adjusted so as to be a prescribed temperature by using the constant-temperature water (W) which flows by being bent inside the heat exchanger 8. In this temperature adjustment apparatus of the chemical liquid, a temperature-measuring resistor 20 used to detect a temperature of the constant-temperature water (W) is installed inside said heat exchanger 8 situated near a bent point 9a of the constanttemperature water (W). By this setup, an actual temperature of the constant-temperature water is detected in a state after a heat exchange with the chemical liquid flowing through the chemical-liquid pipe has been nearly completed and the liquid has been influenced by an ambient temperature; an actual temperature of the chemical liquid is detected indirectly by the temperature of the constant-temperature water. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a troublesome state that the temperature of the chemical liquid adjusted by the constant-temperature water deviates from its preset temperature.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention includes a chemical liquid pipe through which a chemical liquid flows, and a heat exchanger disposed along the chemical liquid pipe. The present invention relates to a chemical liquid temperature adjustment device that adjusts the chemical liquid to a predetermined temperature using constant temperature water that flows in a curved manner.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as an example of this type of chemical liquid temperature adjustment device, a resist coating device as shown in FIG. There is a resist liquid temperature adjustment device.

This resist coating device includes a rotary chuck 2 that holds a semiconductor wafer 1 by suction, a rotary shaft 3 that supports the rotary chuck 2, a motor 4 that drives the rotary shaft 3, and a rotary chuck 2 that holds a semiconductor wafer 1 by suction.
and a spin cup 5 surrounding the chuck 2, which is disposed at the tip of a resist liquid supply vibro described later, and
The resist liquid nozzle 7 is located above the rotary chuck 2. When applying the resist liquid R to the semiconductor wafer 1, the rotary chuck 2 is stopped or rotated at low speed by the motor 4, and the resist liquid R is applied as a chemical onto the surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 from the resist liquid nozzle 7. After being supplied dropwise, the resist solution R is spread over the entire surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 by the centrifugal force caused by the high speed rotation of the rotary chuck 2, thereby forming a resist film with a uniform thickness.

By the way, when applying such resist liquid R, resist if! It is necessary to appropriately adjust the viscosity of H, that is, the temperature. Therefore, the resist liquid supply vibro, which is a chemical liquid pipe through which the resist liquid R supplied from the resist liquid supply device (not shown) to the resist liquid nozzle 7 flows, has a predetermined cross-sectional structure as shown in FIG. A long heat exchanger 8 is provided. Then, the constant temperature water W flowing through the inside of the heat exchanger 8 is used to resist the resist. The temperature of &R is indirectly adjusted to a predetermined set temperature.

That is, this heat exchanger 8 is constituted by a constant temperature water supply pipe 9 that is arranged in close contact with the resist solution supply vibro, and a constant temperature water supply pipe 10 that integrally surrounds this pipe 9 and the resist solution supply vibro. Each of the constant temperature water supply pipe 9 and the constant temperature water discharge pipe 10 is connected to a constant temperature water circulation bag installed outside the resist coating device.
11.

Therefore, the constant temperature water W supplied from the constant temperature water circulation bag r11 to the constant temperature water supply pipe 9 is transferred to the open end 9a of this pipe 9.
The water is bent nearby, flows into a constant temperature water discharge pipe 10, and returns to the constant temperature water circulation device 11 from this pipe 10. A controller (not shown) is provided inside the constant temperature water circulation device 11 to adjust the temperature of the constant temperature water W flowing into the constant temperature water supply pipe 9 to a constant set temperature. The actual temperature and set temperature of the constant-temperature water W detected by the temperature sensor 12 disposed at the supply port, and the structure of the resist solution temperature regulating device as a chemical solution temperature regulating device disposed in the resist coating device. First, since the tip of the resist liquid supply vibro having the resist liquid nozzle 7 is exposed to the outside air, the resist liquid R and constant temperature water W in this part are affected by the outside air temperature around the tip. Therefore, the temperature of the resist liquid R dripped onto the semiconductor wafer 1 from the resist liquid nozzle 7 changes to a temperature different from the set temperature of the resist liquid R adjusted by the constant temperature water W flowing through the heat exchanger 8. As a result, it is not possible to form a resist film with a uniform thickness on the semiconductor wafer 1, and the thickness of the resist film formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 may vary partially, or the thickness of the resist film may vary depending on the semiconductor wafer 1. There was a problem in that the values varied.

This invention was devised to solve these problems, and even though the chemical liquid such as the resist liquid supplied to the surface of the semiconductor wafer is affected by the outside temperature around the chemical liquid pipe, First, it is an object of the present invention to provide a chemical liquid temperature adjusting device that can reliably adjust the temperature of this chemical liquid to a predetermined temperature.

The present invention includes a chemical pipe through which a chemical liquid flows, and a heat exchanger disposed along the chemical pipe, and the chemical liquid is heated to a predetermined temperature by constant temperature water that curves and flows inside the heat exchanger. The chemical liquid temperature adjusting device is characterized in that a temperature measuring resistor for detecting the temperature of the constant temperature water is provided in the heat exchanger located near the bending point of the constant temperature water.

[Effect]

According to the above configuration, by detecting the temperature of the constant-temperature water flowing through the curved interior of the heat exchanger near the bending point using the resistance thermometer, heat exchange with the chemical fluid flowing through the chemical fluid pipe is completed; In addition, the temperature of the constant temperature water after being affected by the surrounding outside air temperature is detected, so by detecting this constant temperature water temperature, the actual temperature of the chemical solution can be indirectly determined by the resistance thermometer. It will be detected.

Therefore, the controller installed in the constant temperature water circulation device performs control based on the deviation between the actual temperature of the constant temperature water detected by this resistance temperature sensor and its set temperature, and then controls the constant temperature water adjusted to the set temperature. It will be supplied to the heat exchanger. Therefore, the temperature of the chemical solution adjusted by this constant temperature water is effectively prevented from changing due to the influence of the outside air temperature and becoming different from the set temperature.

〔Example〕

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be applied to a resist liquid temperature adjusting device as a chemical liquid temperature adjusting device disposed in a resist coating device, and will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of a resist coating apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the main part along line 1--2. In addition, in this example, the configuration other than the provision of the temperature measuring resistor in the heat exchanger constituting the resist liquid temperature adjustment device, that is, the configuration and operation of the resist coating device itself, is the same as the conventional example.
In FIGS. 1 and 2, parts and portions that are the same or corresponding to those in FIGS. 3 and 4 are given the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted.

The resist liquid temperature adjusting device disposed in the resist coating apparatus in this embodiment includes a resist liquid supply vibro serving as a chemical liquid pipe through which the resist liquid R supplied to the resist Bfft nozzle 7 flows, and a resist liquid supply vibro disposed along this. The heat exchanger 8 has a predetermined length. The heat exchanger 8 includes a constant temperature water supply pipe 9 which is arranged in close contact with the resist liquid supply vibro, and a constant temperature water discharge pipe which is disposed so as to integrally enclose the pipe 9 and the resist liquid supply vibro. Each of these pipes 9 and 10 is connected to a constant temperature water circulation device 11 installed outside the resist coating device. Further, the constant temperature water W supplied from the constant temperature water circulation device 11 to the constant temperature water supply pipe 9 flows out, and the open end 9a of the constant temperature water supply pipe 9 bends and flows into the constant temperature water discharge pipe 10. Inside the constant-temperature water discharge pipe 10 located near the bending point, a resistance temperature detector 20 is provided to detect the temperature of the constant-temperature water W at the bending point.

Therefore, in this embodiment, this resistance temperature sensor 20
As a result, the temperature of the constant temperature water W in a state after the heat exchange with the chemical liquid flowing through the chemical liquid pipe has been completed and has been affected by the surrounding outside air temperature is detected. In the constant temperature water circulation device 11, side control is performed based on the actual temperature of the constant temperature water W detected by the controller, and the constant temperature water W adjusted to the set temperature is supplied to the constant temperature water circulation device 11.
The constant temperature water is supplied to the constant temperature water supply vibrator 9 from there. Therefore, the temperature of the resist liquid R that is dripped and supplied onto the surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 is adjusted by the constant temperature water W that is adjusted in consideration of the influence of the outside air temperature around the tip of the resist liquid supply vibro. Therefore, unlike the conventional example, the set temperature of the resist liquid R adjusted by the constant temperature water W does not change greatly.

In the above explanation, the present invention was applied to a resist liquid temperature adjusting device installed in a resist coating device, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, it can be applied to a developing device, etc. Needless to say, it is also possible to apply the present invention to other chemical liquid temperature adjustment devices such as the above.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the chemical liquid temperature adjustment device according to the present invention, the temperature of the constant temperature water flowing through the bending inside the heat exchanger disposed along the chemical liquid pipe through which the chemical liquid flows is adjusted to the temperature near the bending point. Since the temperature is detected by a resistance temperature detector located at Therefore, the actual temperature of the chemical solution is indirectly detected by this constant temperature water temperature.

Therefore, the controller installed in the constant temperature water circulation device performs control based on the deviation between the actual temperature of the constant temperature water detected by the resistance temperature sensor and its set temperature, and then heats the constant temperature water adjusted to the set temperature. Since the constant-temperature water can be supplied to the exchanger, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of problems such as the temperature of the chemical solution adjusted by this constant-temperature water differing from its set temperature.

Therefore, in a resist liquid temperature adjusting device installed in a resist coating apparatus as an example of such a chemical liquid temperature adjusting device, the temperature of the resist liquid supplied to the surface of a semiconductor wafer is reliably adjusted to a predetermined temperature. The effect is that it is possible to prevent the occurrence of variations in the thickness of the resist film due to the influence of ambient temperature as in the conventional example, and to form a resist film with a uniform thickness on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. There is.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 relate to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a resist coating device, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged main part along the line ■-■. It is a diagram. 3 and 4 relate to a conventional example, FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the overall structure of the resist coating device, and FIG. 4 is its I.
It is a sectional view along the V-IV line. In the figure, numeral 6 is a resist liquid supply pipe (chemical pipe), 8 is a heat exchanger, 9 is a constant temperature water supply pipe, 9a is its open end (the bending point of constant temperature water), 10 is a constant temperature water discharge pipe, and 20 is a constant temperature water supply pipe. The resistance temperature sensor, R is a resist solution (chemical solution), and W is constant temperature water. In addition, the same reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same or equivalent parts,
shows the part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Equipped with a chemical liquid pipe through which a chemical liquid flows, and a heat exchanger disposed along the chemical liquid pipe, the chemical liquid is adjusted to a predetermined temperature by constant temperature water that is curved and distributed inside the heat exchanger. In the chemical liquid temperature adjustment device, in the heat exchanger located near the bending point of the constant temperature water,
A chemical liquid temperature adjustment device characterized in that a temperature measuring resistor is provided to detect the temperature of the constant temperature water.