JP2816756B2 - Resist processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a resist processing apparatus.

(Prior Art) In general, in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a fine circuit pattern is transferred onto a substrate to be processed, for example, a semiconductor wafer by using a precise photo transfer technology. In such a process, a resist film is formed. A resist processing apparatus is used.

In such a resist processing apparatus, for example, a predetermined amount of a photoresist solution is dropped on the surface of a semiconductor wafer, and then the semiconductor wafer is rotated at a high speed by a spin chuck, and the photoresist solution is diffused by centrifugal force, thereby causing Then, a resist film having a uniform thickness is formed.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in recent years, semiconductor devices tend to be highly integrated, and their circuit patterns tend to be further miniaturized.

For this reason, in the above-described conventional resist processing apparatus, it is required to further improve the accuracy of the absolute film thickness of the resist film and the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness, and to improve automation and productivity. .

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional circumstances, and can improve the accuracy of the absolute film thickness of the resist film and the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness as compared with the conventional one, and automate the setting of the coating conditions. It is an object of the present invention to provide a resist processing apparatus capable of improving productivity.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) That is, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to a resist processing apparatus for dropping a photoresist liquid onto a coating surface of a substrate to be processed and rotating and coating the substrate to be processed. A rotation control means for controlling the rotation of the workpiece according to a preset rotation setting program; a temperature detection means for detecting an ambient temperature; a humidity detection means for detecting an ambient humidity; the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity Storage means for storing the rotation setting program of the rotation control means, the rotation setting program corresponding to the ambient temperature detected by the temperature detection means and the ambient humidity detected by the humidity detection means, Main control means for reading from the means and changing the setting of the rotation control means.

The invention of claim 2 is a resist processing apparatus for dropping a photoresist liquid on a coating surface of a substrate to be processed and rotating and coating the substrate to be processed, wherein the temperature of the photoresist liquid is set at a predetermined resist set temperature. Resist temperature control means for controlling the rotation of the object to be processed according to a preset rotation setting program, temperature detection means for detecting an ambient temperature, and humidity detection means for detecting an ambient humidity. Storage means for storing the resist setting temperature of the resist temperature control means and the rotation setting program of the rotation control means corresponding to the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity; and the ambient temperature detected by the temperature detection means and The resist set temperature and / or the rotation setting corresponding to the ambient humidity detected by the humidity detecting means. The program is read from the storage means, characterized by comprising a main control unit for changing the settings of the resist temperature control means and / or the rotation control means.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a resist processing apparatus in which a photoresist liquid is dropped on a coating surface of a substrate to be processed, and the substrate is rotated and coated. Substrate temperature control means for controlling to a set temperature, resist temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the photoresist solution to a preset resist set temperature,
A rotation control unit that controls the rotation of the workpiece according to a preset rotation setting program, a temperature detection unit that detects an ambient temperature, a humidity detection unit that detects an ambient humidity, and the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity. Storage means for storing the corresponding resist set temperature of the resist temperature control means and the rotation setting program of the rotation control means; and the ambient temperature detected by the temperature detection means of the substrate set temperature of the substrate temperature control means. And reads the resist setting temperature and the rotation setting program corresponding to the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity detected by the humidity detecting means from the storage means, and reads the resist temperature control means and the rotation control. Main control means for changing the setting of the means.

(Operation) As a result of a detailed investigation by the present inventors, in the conventional resist processing apparatus, a slight change in the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity in the clean room deteriorates the accuracy of the absolute film thickness of the resist film and reduces the film thickness. It was found that this was one of the causes of the deterioration of the in-plane uniformity.

Therefore, in the resist processing apparatus of the present invention, the main control means automatically changes the substrate set temperature of the substrate temperature control means in accordance with the ambient temperature detected by the temperature detection means, so that the substrate temperature and the ambient temperature are changed. To prevent the substrate temperature from being changed by the ambient temperature.

At the same time, storage means for storing a resist setting temperature to be set in the resist temperature control means and a rotation setting program to be set in the rotation control means according to the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity are provided. Automatically changes the settings of the resist setting temperature and the rotation setting program according to the ambient humidity.

As a result, the accuracy of the absolute film thickness of the resist film and the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness can be improved as compared with the related art, and the productivity can be improved by automating the application condition setting.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the resist processing apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the resist processing apparatus is provided with a spin chuck 3 configured to hold the semiconductor wafer 1 by suction using, for example, a vacuum chuck or the like, and to rotate the semiconductor wafer 1 at a high speed by a motor 2. . The rotation speed and rotation time of the motor 2 are controlled by a rotation control device 4 in accordance with a predetermined rotation setting program set in advance. This rotation setting program is executed by the data storage device 5 for each type of photoresist liquid, type of semiconductor wafer 1, ambient temperature, and ambient humidity.
Are read out by the main controller 6 and set in the rotation controller 4. The main controller 6
Is connected to the input / output device 7, and the rotation setting program is configured to perform setting, change, and the like using the input / output device 7.

Further, the spin chuck 3 is provided with a chuck temperature adjusting mechanism 8 for setting the temperature of the semiconductor wafer 1 on the spin chuck 3 to a predetermined temperature so that the heat of the motor 2 is not transmitted to the semiconductor wafer 1. ing. The chuck temperature adjusting mechanism 8 is configured by, for example, a mechanism that circulates constant-temperature water around the motor 2, and the temperature thereof is controlled by a chuck temperature control device 9. The chuck temperature controller 9 is connected to the main controller 6 and controls the set temperature (wafer set temperature) of the main controller 6.
Is set by

Further, a resist supply nozzle 10 is provided above a central portion of the spin chuck 3. The resist supply nozzle 10 is connected to a resist accommodating container 11 for accommodating a photoresist solution, and a valve mechanism, a filter mechanism, a bubble removing mechanism, and the like (not shown) are provided therebetween. Then, the photoresist liquid in the resist container 11 is pressure-fed under a gas pressure of, for example, high-pressure nitrogen or the like, and is supplied by a predetermined amount from the resist supply nozzle 10 to the semiconductor wafer 1 held on the spin chuck 3. . Also,
The above-mentioned resist container 11, a pipe for connecting the resist supply nozzle 10 and the resist container 11 is provided with a resist temperature adjusting mechanism including a mechanism for circulating constant temperature water, for example.
12 is provided, this resist temperature adjustment mechanism 12
It is configured to be controlled by the resist temperature control device 13. The resist temperature controller 13 is connected to the main controller 6, and the set temperature (resist set temperature) is set by the main controller 6.

Further, around the spin chuck 3, the semiconductor wafer 1
Is provided so that the photoresist liquid does not scatter around when the semiconductor wafer 1 rotates.

On the side of the above-mentioned coating mechanism, a plate temperature control device
A temperature control plate 16 whose temperature is controlled by 15 and a transport mechanism 17 are provided. Before applying the photoresist liquid, the semiconductor wafer 1 is placed on the temperature control plate 16 in advance, set at a predetermined temperature, and then transferred by the transfer mechanism 17 to the spin chuck 3. Have been. The plate temperature controller 15 is connected to the main controller 6, and its set temperature (wafer set temperature) is set by the main controller 6.

Further, the resist processing apparatus of the present embodiment is provided with a temperature sensor 18 for detecting an ambient temperature around the apparatus and a humidity sensor 19 for detecting an atmospheric humidity around the apparatus. Temperature sensor 18 and humidity sensor
The 19 detection signals are configured to be input to the main controller 6.

Then, the main controller 6 controls the chuck temperature controller 9 according to the ambient temperature measured by the temperature sensor 18.
Set temperature of plate temperature controller 15 (wafer set temperature)
Is configured to change. That is, for example, if the ambient temperature measured by the temperature sensor 18 is 23 ° C., the chuck temperature controller 9 and the plate temperature controller 15
Is set to 23 ° C., and if the ambient temperature measured by the temperature sensor 18 is 21 ° C., the set temperatures of the chuck temperature controller 9 and the plate temperature controller 15 are set to 21 ° C. Is set to the same temperature as the ambient atmosphere temperature. This eliminates the difference between the temperature of the semiconductor wafer 1 and the ambient temperature. For example, the temperature of the semiconductor wafer 1 whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjustment plate 16 is reduced during transfer by the transfer mechanism 17 in the clean room. It is possible to prevent a change due to the influence of a flow or the like.

At the same time, the main controller 6 controls the temperature sensor 18
The data storage device 5 according to the ambient temperature measured by the humidity sensor and the atmospheric humidity measured by the humidity sensor 19.
A rotation setting program to be set in the rotation control device 4 and a resist setting temperature to be set in the resist temperature control device 13 are read from the inside, and set in the rotation control device 4 and the resist temperature control device 13.

The resist processing apparatus of this embodiment having the above configuration is usually arranged in a clean room. Then, the coating process is performed as follows.

That is, first, from the input / output device 7 to the main control device 6,
The type of the photoresist solution to be applied and the type of the semiconductor wafer 1 are input.

Then, main controller 6 determines the type of the inputted photoresist liquid and the type of semiconductor wafer 1 and the temperature sensor 18.
The data storage device 5 according to the ambient temperature measured by the humidity sensor and the atmospheric humidity measured by the humidity sensor 19.
A rotation setting program to be set in the rotation control device 4 and a resist setting temperature to be set in the resist temperature control device 13 are read from the inside, and set in the rotation control device 4 and the resist temperature control device 13.

Further, main controller 6 sets the wafer set temperatures of chuck temperature controller 9 and plate temperature controller 15 according to the ambient temperature measured by temperature sensor 18.

Then, the semiconductor wafer 1 on which the coating process is performed using an automatic transfer mechanism or wafer tweezers (not shown)
It is placed on the temperature-regulated plate 16 whose temperature has been regulated, and is set to a predetermined temperature in advance.

Thereafter, the semiconductor wafer 1 is transported by the transport mechanism 17 and placed on the spin chuck 3 whose temperature has been adjusted in advance.

Thereafter, a predetermined amount of a photoresist solution whose temperature is controlled to the resist temperature set by the resist temperature control device 13 is dropped onto the semiconductor wafer 1 on the spin chuck 3 from the resist supply nozzle 10.

Then, according to the rotation setting program set in the rotation control device 4, the semiconductor wafer 1 is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed for a predetermined time, for example, at a rotation speed of 2000 rpm for 30 seconds. The resist film is uniformly diffused to form a resist film having a uniform film thickness.

When the ambient temperature measured by the temperature sensor 18 changes, the main controller 6 changes the wafer set temperatures of the chuck temperature controller 9 and the plate temperature controller 15 according to the measured ambient temperature. . At the same time, the main control device 6 executes a rotation setting program to be set in the rotation control device 4 from within the data storage device 5 in accordance with the atmospheric temperature and the atmospheric humidity measured by the humidity sensor 19, and a resist temperature control. The resist set temperature to be set in the device 13 is read, and the settings of the rotation control device 4 and the resist temperature control device 13 are changed.

That is, in the resist processing apparatus of this embodiment, the temperature of the semiconductor wafer 1 is automatically changed according to the ambient temperature, thereby eliminating the difference between the temperature of the semiconductor wafer 1 and the ambient temperature. Is prevented from changing due to the ambient temperature. At the same time, the resist temperature to be set in the resist temperature control device 13 and the rotation setting program to be set in the rotation control device 4 are automatically changed according to the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity.

Accordingly, for example, the temperature of the semiconductor wafer 1 whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjustment plate 16 does not change due to the influence of a downflow in the clean room during the transfer by the transfer mechanism 17, and under appropriate coating conditions. Since the coating process can be performed, the accuracy of the absolute film thickness of the resist film and the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness can be improved. Further, the productivity can be improved by automating the application condition setting.

The resist temperature to be set in the resist temperature control device 13 and the rotation setting program to be set in the rotation control device 4 differ depending on the type of the photoresist solution, the type of the semiconductor wafer 1, and the like. It is necessary to determine the optimum conditions for each and the ambient humidity. In this case, conditions are set by the input / output device 7.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to resist coating is described. However, the present invention may be applied to, for example, developing solution coating as long as it is a resist process.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the resist processing apparatus of the present invention, the accuracy of the absolute film thickness of the resist film and the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness can be improved as compared with the related art,
The application condition setting can be automated, and the productivity can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a resist processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Semiconductor wafer, 2 ... Motor, 3 ... Spin chuck, 4 ... Rotation control device, 5 ... Data storage device, 6
... Main control device, 7... Input / output device, 8... Chuck temperature control mechanism, 9… Chuck temperature control device, 10… Resist supply nozzle, 11… Resist container, 12… Resist temperature control mechanism , 13 ... resist temperature controller, 14 ...
... Cup, 15 ... Plate temperature controller, 16 ... Temperature control plate, 17 ... Transport mechanism, 18 ... Temperature sensor, 19 ...
... humidity sensor.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-1-150143 (JP, A) JP-A-68620 (JP, A) JP-A-63-250820 (JP, A) JP-A-62 225269 (JP, A) JP-A-62-90777 (JP, A) JP-A-61-137951 (JP, A) JP-A-59-151424 (JP, A) JP-A-58-166721 (JP, A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H01L 21/027

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A resist processing apparatus for dropping a photoresist solution onto a coating surface of a substrate to be processed and rotating and coating the substrate to be processed, wherein the rotation of the substrate is controlled according to a preset rotation setting program. Rotation control means, a temperature detection means for detecting an ambient temperature, a humidity detection means for detecting an ambient humidity, and a storage means for storing the rotation setting program of the rotation control means corresponding to the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity Main control means for reading the rotation setting program corresponding to the ambient temperature detected by the temperature detection means and the ambient humidity detected by the humidity detection means from the storage means, and changing the setting of the rotation control means A resist processing apparatus comprising: 2. A resist processing apparatus for dropping a photoresist liquid onto a coating surface of a substrate to be processed and rotating and coating the substrate to be processed, wherein the temperature of the photoresist liquid is controlled to a predetermined resist set temperature. Resist temperature control means, rotation control means for controlling the rotation of the workpiece according to a preset rotation setting program, temperature detection means for detecting an ambient temperature, humidity detection means for detecting an ambient humidity, Storage means for storing the resist set temperature of the resist temperature control means and the rotation setting program of the rotation control means corresponding to the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity; and detecting the ambient temperature and the humidity detected by the temperature detection means The resist setting temperature and / or the rotation setting process corresponding to the ambient humidity detected by the means. The ram is read from the storage means, a resist processing apparatus characterized by comprising a main control unit for changing the settings of the resist temperature control means and / or the rotation control means. 3. A resist processing apparatus for dropping a photoresist liquid onto a coating surface of a substrate to be processed and rotating and coating the substrate to be processed, wherein the temperature of the substrate to be processed is controlled to a preset substrate set temperature. Substrate temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the photoresist solution to a preset resist set temperature, and rotation control means for controlling the rotation of the workpiece in accordance with a preset rotation setting program Temperature detecting means for detecting an ambient temperature; humidity detecting means for detecting an ambient humidity; and the rotation of the resist set temperature and the rotation control means of the resist temperature control means corresponding to the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity. Storage means for storing a setting program; and wherein the substrate set temperature of the substrate temperature control means is detected by the temperature detection means. Changing the resist setting temperature and the rotation setting program corresponding to the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity detected by the humidity detecting means from the storage means. And a main control means for changing the setting of the rotation control means.