JP2002359220A - Treatment apparatus for substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent creeping in of cleaning liquid from the back to front of a wafer accompanying the rotation of the wafer in the back cleaning of the wafer. SOLUTION: An annular diffusion suppression member 68 is provided at a position opposite to a back at the outer edge section of a wafer W. The annular diffusion suppression member 68 is provided near the back of the wafer W for forming small clearance at a portion to the back of the wafer W. When cleaning liquid is supplied onto the back of the wafer W from a back cleaning nozzle 71, and is diffused to the outer edge section along the back of the wafer W by the centrifugal force, the channel of the cleaning liquid becomes narrow due to the clearance for preventing flow at one portion of the cleaning liquid, thus reducing the amount of the cleaning liquid that passes through the clearance to reach the end section of the wafer W, reducing the surface tension of the cleaning liquid at the end section of the wafer W, scattering the cleaning liquid appropriately, and hence preventing the creeping of the cleaning liquid to the surface of the wafer W.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a photolithography process in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a resist coating process for forming a resist film on a substrate, for example, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as "wafer") is performed.

In the resist coating process, a resist solution is usually supplied to the center of a rotated wafer, and the resist solution is diffused on the wafer surface by centrifugal force. Thus, the resist liquid is applied to the entire surface of the wafer. Then, when the resist liquid is applied on the wafer, backside cleaning is performed in which the wafer is rotated to supply a cleaning liquid to the backside of the wafer. As a result, the resist solution and the like adhering to the back surface of the wafer are washed away.

[0004]

However, in such a coating method involving rotation of the wafer, when the resist liquid is applied on the wafer, the resist liquid at the outer edge of the wafer rises due to the action of centrifugal force and surface tension, and A phenomenon occurs in which the film thickness at the outer edge of the wafer increases. In order to eliminate the swelling of the resist solution, for example, it is proposed to rotate the wafer immediately after coating at a high speed to scatter the swelled portion. However, even if the bulge at the outer edge of the wafer is eliminated by this high-speed rotation, if the wafer is further rotated at a high speed during the back surface cleaning, the bulge occurs again at the outer edge of the wafer due to centrifugal force. Therefore,
It is necessary to rotate the wafer at a low speed during the back surface cleaning. However, when the rotation at the time of back surface cleaning is set to low speed rotation, the cleaning liquid supplied to the back surface of the wafer is not appropriately scattered, but flows along the edge surface of the wafer due to surface tension, and wraps around the surface of the wafer. There is a concern that it may be mixed with the resist solution. When the cleaning liquid and the resist liquid are mixed, the resist liquid applied on the wafer is deteriorated, leading to a decrease in yield.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and when cleaning the back surface of a substrate such as a wafer, the substrate processing is performed even when the substrate is rotated at a low speed. Its purpose is to provide a device.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
A rotation holding unit for rotating, a cleaning nozzle for supplying a cleaning liquid to the back surface of the substrate held by the rotation holding unit, and a cleaning liquid supplied to the back surface of the rotated substrate, the cleaning liquid being supplied to the substrate along the back surface of the substrate And a diffusion suppressing member that suppresses the diffusion at the outer edge of the substrate when it is diffused toward the outer edge of the substrate.

As described above, when the cleaning liquid supplied to the back surface of the rotated substrate is diffused to the outer edge side of the substrate along the back surface of the substrate, the cleaning liquid of the cleaning liquid is spread at the outer edge of the substrate. By providing the diffusion suppressing member for suppressing the diffusion, the amount of the cleaning liquid reaching the edge of the substrate is reduced.
Thus, the surface tension acting on the cleaning liquid at the edge of the substrate is reduced, so that the cleaning liquid is prevented from traveling along the end surface of the substrate to the surface of the substrate. Therefore, the rotation at the time of cleaning the back surface of the substrate is suppressed to a low speed, and the back surface of the substrate is appropriately cleaned even when the centrifugal force acting on the cleaning liquid is small.

The diffusion suppressing member is formed in an annular shape corresponding to the outer edge of the substrate.
The semiconductor device may further include a proximity portion that is close to the back surface of the substrate held by the rotation holding portion and forms a narrower gap than the central portion of the substrate. In this way, by providing the proximity portion that forms a gap narrower than the central portion of the substrate, a part of the cleaning liquid diffused from the central portion of the substrate to the outer edge portion is reduced.
The amount of the cleaning liquid blocked by the adjacent portion and diffused to the edge of the substrate is reduced. As a result, the surface tension of the cleaning liquid at the edge of the substrate is reduced, and the back surface of the substrate can be properly cleaned even when the rotation speed of the substrate is low.

According to an experiment conducted by the inventor, the gap is 0.5
It has been confirmed that when the thickness is between 1.5 mm and 1.5 mm, it is possible to most suppress the spilling of the cleaning liquid onto the substrate surface. Therefore, the gap is preferably 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0010] The substrate processing apparatus may have a suction unit for sucking at least the cleaning liquid in the gap. As described above, the provision of the suction portion for sucking the cleaning liquid in the gap allows the cleaning liquid in the gap suppressed by the diffusion suppressing member to be discharged. Therefore, the amount of the cleaning liquid diffused to the edge of the substrate can be reduced, so that the surface tension of the cleaning liquid is reduced and the cleaning liquid is prevented from flowing to the substrate surface.

[0011] The diffusion suppressing member may have an inclined shape such that the position of the adjacent portion is highest. In this way, by inclining the diffusion suppressing member so that the proximity portion is highest, a part of the cleaning liquid blocked in the proximity portion can be discharged from the inclination.
Therefore, the cleaning liquid that has lost its place due to the diffusion suppressing member is suppressed from accumulating near the back surface of the substrate.

[0012] The substrate processing apparatus may include a processing container surrounding the outside of the substrate held by the rotation holding unit, and the diffusion suppressing member may be attached to the processing container. As described above, by attaching the diffusion suppressing member to the processing container, the diffusion suppressing member can be supported by the processing container. Therefore, as compared with the case where the diffusion suppressing member is provided independently, a supporting member or the like is not required, and the processing apparatus can be simplified and downsized.

[0013] The substrate processing apparatus may include a sneaking-prevention member for preventing the cleaning liquid diffused along the back surface of the substrate from flowing along the end surface of the substrate and sneaking into the front surface side of the substrate. As described above, by providing the sneaking prevention member for preventing the cleaning liquid from flowing along the end surface of the substrate to the front surface side of the substrate, the amount of the developer reaching the edge of the substrate by the diffusion suppressing member can be reduced. Still further, when the cleaning liquid wraps around the end face of the substrate, the wrapping of the cleaning liquid can be completely prevented. As a result, the cleaning liquid is prevented from being mixed with, for example, the coating liquid on the substrate surface, and an appropriate coating film is formed on the substrate.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a rotation holding section for holding and rotating the substrate; and a cleaning liquid supplied to the back surface of the substrate held by the rotation holding section. A substrate processing method comprising: a cleaning nozzle; and a wraparound preventing member for preventing the cleaning liquid supplied to the back surface of the rotated substrate from flowing along an end surface of the substrate toward the front surface side of the substrate. An apparatus is provided.

As described above, the cleaning liquid supplied to the back surface of the substrate has a sneak-preventing member for preventing the cleaning liquid from flowing along the end surface of the substrate toward the front surface of the substrate. The cleaning liquid diffused to the edge of the substrate is prevented from flowing to the surface side of the substrate, and the cleaning liquid and the coating liquid on the substrate surface can be prevented from being mixed. Therefore, even when the rotation speed at the time of cleaning the back surface of the substrate is low, the spillage of the cleaning liquid can be prevented, and the back surface of the substrate can be suitably cleaned.

The wraparound member may be formed in an annular shape corresponding to the end face of the substrate, and the wraparound member may be provided close to the end face of the substrate. In this way, by forming the wraparound member in an annular shape corresponding to the end surface of the substrate and providing the wraparound member close to the end surface of the substrate, the cleaning liquid that has wrapped around from the back surface of the substrate to the end surface can be removed. Since the cleaning liquid can be received in a narrow gap formed between the wraparound member and the end surface of the substrate, the cleaning liquid can be prevented from wrapping around the substrate surface.

[0017] The substrate processing apparatus may have a suction port for sucking the cleaning liquid flowing around the end surface of the substrate. As described above, by providing the suction port for sucking the cleaning liquid wrapped around the end face of the substrate, the cleaning liquid staying in the gap between the wraparound member and the end face of the substrate can be discharged. This prevents the cleaning liquid from flowing from the end surface of the substrate to the surface of the substrate.

[0018] The substrate processing apparatus may have an outlet for blowing gas toward an end face of the substrate.
In this way, by providing a blowing port for blowing the substrate to the end face of the substrate,
A so-called air curtain is formed, so that the cleaning liquid diffused on the back surface of the substrate can be prevented from flowing to the end surface of the substrate.
Therefore, the cleaning liquid is prevented from reaching the surface of the substrate.

The substrate processing apparatus may include a processing container surrounding the outside of the substrate held by the rotation holding unit, and the wraparound member may be attached to the processing container. In this way, by attaching the wraparound preventing member to the processing container, the wraparound prevention member and the processing container can be integrated, and it is not necessary to separately provide a support member or the like for the wraparound prevention member. ,
The processing device can be simplified and made compact.

[0020]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration of a coating and developing system 1 on which a resist coating apparatus according to the present embodiment is mounted, FIG. 2 is a front view of the coating and developing system 1, and FIG. 2 is a rear view of the coating and developing system 1. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, for example, the coating and developing system 1 carries 25 wafers W into and out of the coating and developing system 1 from the outside in units of cassettes, and carries wafers W into and out of the cassette C. A cassette station 2 for unloading, a processing station 3 in which various processing apparatuses for performing predetermined processing in a single-sheet type in a coating and developing processing step are arranged in multiple stages, and provided adjacent to the processing station 3. An interface unit 4 for transferring a wafer W to and from an exposure apparatus (not shown) is integrally connected.

In the cassette station 2, a plurality of cassettes C can be mounted in a row in the X direction (up and down direction in FIG. 1) at predetermined positions on a cassette mounting table 5 serving as a mounting portion. Then, the cassette arrangement direction (X direction) and the wafer arrangement direction (Z
(A vertical direction) is provided movably along a transfer path 8 so that each cassette C can be selectively accessed.

The wafer carrier 7 has an alignment function for positioning the wafer W. As will be described later, the wafer carrier 7 is configured to be able to access the extension device 32 belonging to the third processing device group G3 on the processing station 3 side.

In the processing station 3, a main transfer device 13 is provided at the center thereof, and various processing devices are arranged in multiple stages around the main transfer device 13 to form a processing device group. In the coating and developing system 1,
Four processing unit groups G1, G2, G3, and G4 are disposed. The first and second processing unit groups G1 and G2 are disposed on the front side of the coating and developing processing system 1, and the third processing unit group G3 is disposed. Is disposed adjacent to the cassette station 2, and the fourth processing unit group G4 is disposed adjacent to the interface unit 4. Further, a fifth processing unit group G5 indicated by a broken line as an option can be separately arranged on the back side. The main transfer device 13 includes these processing device groups G1, G2, G3, G4, G5.
The wafer W can be loaded and unloaded to and from various processing apparatuses described below. Note that the number and arrangement of the processing apparatus groups differ depending on the type of processing performed on the wafer W, and the number of processing apparatus groups can be arbitrarily selected as long as it is one or more.

In the first processing unit group G1, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a resist coating unit 17 as a substrate processing unit according to the present embodiment, and a development processing unit 18 for developing a wafer W after exposure are provided. Are arranged in two stages from the bottom. Similarly, the resist coating device 1 is applied to the processing device group G2.
9 and a developing device 20 are arranged in two stages from the bottom.

In the third processing unit group G3, for example, as shown in FIG.
0, an adhesion device 31 for improving the fixability between the resist solution and the wafer W, an extension device 32 for transferring the wafer W, pre-baking devices 33 and 34 for evaporating the solvent in the resist solution, a developing process Post-baking devices 35 for performing a subsequent heat treatment are stacked, for example, in six stages from the bottom.

In the fourth processing unit group G4, for example, a cooling device 40, an extension cooling device 41 for naturally cooling the mounted wafer W, an extension device 42, a cooling device 43, and post-exposure baking for performing a heat treatment after exposure. The devices 44 and 45 and the post-baking device 46 are stacked, for example, in seven stages from the bottom.

At the center of the interface unit 4, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, a wafer carrier 50 is provided, for example. The wafer transfer body 50 is configured to freely move in the X direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1), the Z direction (vertical direction), and rotate in the θ direction (rotation direction about the Z axis). , The extension cooling device 41, the extension device 42, the peripheral exposure device 51, and the exposure device (not shown) belonging to the fourth processing device group G4 are accessed so that the wafer W can be transferred to each of them. I have.

Next, the configuration of the above-described resist coating device 17 will be described. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing an outline of the configuration of the resist coating device 17.

The resist coating device 17 has a casing 17a as shown in FIG. 4, and has a spin chuck 60 as a rotation holding unit in the casing 17a. The upper surface of the spin chuck 60 is formed horizontally, and a suction port (not shown) for sucking the wafer W is provided on the upper surface. Thus, the spin chuck 60 can horizontally hold the wafer W by suction.

The spin chuck 60 has a rotation mechanism 61 for rotating the spin chuck 60 at a predetermined speed. The rotation mechanism 61 is, for example, a spin chuck 60.
Drive unit 62 provided with, for example, a motor provided below
And a power supply 63 for supplying power to the drive unit 62, and a control unit 64 for adjusting the voltage of the power supply 63. By controlling the power supply 63 by the control unit 64 and operating the power supplied to the drive unit 62, the rotation speed of the spin chuck 60 can be controlled to a predetermined rotation speed. Therefore, the wafer W being coated with the resist is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed determined for each process.

Outside the spin chuck 60, the wafer W
A cup 65 is provided as a processing container for receiving and collecting the resist liquid, the cleaning liquid, and the like scattered from the substrate. The cup 65 has a substantially cylindrical shape whose upper surface is open. The cup 65 has an outer wall 65a surrounding the outside of the wafer W, and an inner wall 65b located inside and below the wafer W, and has a double structure. Outer wall 65a and inner wall 6
A first drain pipe 66 for draining the collected resist solution, cleaning liquid, and the like, and an exhaust pipe 67 for exhausting the atmosphere in the cup 65 are provided at the bottom 65c between the bottom 65c and the bottom 65c.

An annular support wall A is provided inside the inner wall 65b. Between the support wall A and the inner wall 65b, a diffusion suppressing member 68 for suppressing the diffusion of the cleaning liquid supplied to the back surface of the wafer W is provided. The diffusion suppressing member 68
It is formed in an annular shape corresponding to the outer edge portion over the entire circumference of the wafer W, and has a substantially mountain-shaped vertical cross section so as to extend over the upper end portion of the support wall A and the upper end portion of the inner wall 65b. . As shown in FIG. 5, the diffusion suppressing member 68 includes a proximity portion 68a close to the back surface of the wafer W, an inclined portion 68b outside the proximity portion 68a, and an inclined portion 68 inside the proximity portion 68a.
c. The proximity portion 68a is provided with a diffusion suppressing member 68.
And a gap D of, for example, 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm is formed between the proximity portion 68a and the back surface of the wafer W. Thereby, when the cleaning liquid supplied to the back surface of the wafer W is diffused along the back surface of the wafer W to the outer edge of the wafer W, the flow path of the cleaning liquid is narrowed by the proximity portion 68a, and the diffusion of the cleaning liquid is reduced. Can be suppressed.

The inclined portion 68b is formed, for example, on the inner wall 65b.
, And the inclined portion 68c is connected to the upper end of the support wall A. The lower end of the support wall A is, for example, as shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the groove 69 is connected to an annular groove 69, and the groove 69 is provided with, for example, a second drain pipe 70. With this configuration, the cleaning liquid, the diffusion of which is suppressed in the proximity part 68a, flows along the inclined part 68b and the inclined part 68c, flows into the bottom part 65c and the groove 69, and is drained from the first drain pipe 66 and the second drain pipe 70. It is supposed to be.

In the cup 65, the spin chuck 6
Below the wafer W held at 0, a back surface cleaning nozzle 71 for supplying a cleaning liquid to the back surface of the wafer W is provided. The back surface cleaning nozzle 71 is provided toward the back surface on the central portion side of the wafer W, and a cleaning liquid from a cleaning liquid supply source (not shown) is jetted onto the back surface of the wafer W at a predetermined timing.

A resist discharge nozzle 72 for discharging the resist liquid onto the wafer W and a solvent discharge nozzle 73 for discharging the solvent of the resist liquid are held by a holder 74 above the cup 65, for example. The holder 74 is held by an arm (not shown), and the arm can move, for example, from outside the cup 65 to above the center of the wafer W in the cup 65. Therefore, the resist discharge nozzle 7
2 and the solvent discharge nozzle 73 can move to above the center of the wafer W and discharge the resist solution or the solvent to the center of the wafer W. Note that the resist discharge nozzle 72 is
A solvent discharge nozzle 72 is connected to a resist solution supply device (not shown).
Are connected to a solvent supply device (not shown), and a predetermined amount of resist liquid or solvent can be discharged from the resist discharge nozzle 72 and the solvent discharge nozzle 73 at a predetermined timing.

On the upper surface of the casing 17a, there is provided a gas supply pipe 75 for controlling the temperature and humidity and supplying a purified gas into the cup 65. The gas supply pipe 75 supplies the gas during processing of the wafer W. The interior of the cup 65 can be maintained at a predetermined atmosphere, and the interior of the cup 65 can be purged.

Next, the operation of the resist coating apparatus 17 configured as described above will be described together with the photolithography process performed in the coating and developing processing system 1.

First, one unprocessed wafer W is taken out of the cassette C by the wafer transfer body 7 and transferred to the extension device 32 belonging to the third processing device group G3.
Next, the wafer W is carried into the adhesion device 31 by the main transfer device 13, and the wafer W is coated with, for example, HMDS for improving the adhesion of the resist solution. Next, the wafer W is transferred to the cooling device 30 and cooled to a predetermined temperature. Then, the wafer W cooled to a predetermined temperature
Is transported by the main transport device 13 to, for example, a resist coating device 17.

The wafer W to which the resist liquid has been applied in the resist coating device 17 is sequentially transferred to the pre-baking device 33 and the extension cooling device 41 by the main transfer device 13, and further to the peripheral exposure device 51 and the exposure device 51 by the wafer transfer body 50. The sheets are sequentially conveyed to devices (not shown), and are subjected to predetermined processing in each device. Then, the wafer W having been subjected to the exposure processing is transferred by the wafer transfer body 50 to the extension device 42, and thereafter, the main transfer device 1
3 by post exposure baking device 4
4. The cooling device 43, the development processing device 18, the post-baking device 46, and the cooling device 30 sequentially transport the cooling device 43 to perform predetermined processing in each device. Thereafter, the wafer W is returned to the cassette C via the extension device 32, and a series of coating and developing processes is completed.

Next, the process of the above-described resist coating process will be described. First, the wafer W that has been subjected to the pre-processing is
It is carried into the resist coating device 17 by the main transfer device 13 and is suction-held on the spin chuck 60.

Next, the holder 74 waiting outside the cup 65 moves to above the center of the wafer W, and the solvent discharge nozzle 73 is positioned above the center of the wafer W. When the solvent discharge nozzle 73 is positioned above the wafer W, the rotation mechanism 61 starts to rotate the wafer W at, for example, 1000 rpm. It is discharged toward. The solvent discharged to the center of the wafer W is diffused over the entire surface of the wafer W by centrifugal force, and the wettability of the wafer W is improved.

When the supply of the solvent is completed, the resist discharge nozzle 72 is moved above the center of the wafer W. Then, the rotation speed of the wafer W is increased to, for example, 3000 rpm, and a predetermined amount of resist liquid is discharged from the resist discharge nozzle 72 toward the center of the wafer W. The resist solution supplied to the center of the wafer W is diffused over the entire surface of the wafer W by centrifugal force, and the resist solution is deposited on the wafer W.

When a predetermined amount of the resist solution is supplied onto the wafer W and the liquid is formed on the wafer W, the discharge of the resist solution is stopped, and then the rotation speed of the wafer W is temporarily reduced to, for example, 500 rpm. You. Thereby, the behavior of the resist liquid on the wafer W is stabilized. Next, the wafer W
Is increased to, for example, 2500 rpm, excess resist liquid on the wafer W is shaken off, and the thickness of the resist liquid is adjusted. At this time, at the outer edge of the wafer W, swelling of the resist liquid occurs due to surface tension or the like. In this film thickness adjusting step, the evaporation of the solvent contained in the resist solution is promoted by the rotation of the wafer W, and the resist solution starts to solidify on the wafer W.

When the film thickness adjusting step is completed, the rotation speed of the wafer W is increased to, for example, 4000 rpm, and the wafer W is rotated at a high speed. As a result, the resist liquid that has been solidified at the outer edge of the wafer W is scattered by a strong centrifugal force, and the raised portion at the outer edge of the wafer W is removed.

When the high-speed rotation of the wafer W is completed, the back surface cleaning for cleaning the resist solution and the like adhering to the back surface of the wafer W is performed. In this back surface cleaning, the rotation speed of the wafer W is
For example, the speed is reduced to 500 rpm, and the wafer W is rotated at a low speed. Then, first, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the rear surface cleaning nozzle 71 to the rear surface on the central portion side of the wafer W. Wafer W
The cleaning liquid supplied to the back surface of the wafer W
Diffuses toward the outer edge side of the. At this time, the cleaning liquid flows along the back surface of the wafer W while washing away the resist solution and the like adhering to the back surface of the wafer W. As shown in FIG. 6, when the cleaning liquid advances to the gap D where the flow path including the approaching portion 68a of the diffusion suppressing member 68 is narrowed, the flow of the cleaning liquid is hindered. At this time, a part of the cleaning liquid falls to the inclined portion 68b or the inclined portion 68c, and the remaining cleaning liquid passes through the gap D and is diffused to the end of the wafer W. As a result, the amount of the cleaning liquid reaching the edge of the wafer W is reduced, and the surface tension of the cleaning liquid at the edge of the wafer W is reduced. Therefore, the cleaning liquid is scattered to the outside of the wafer W without going around the end face of the wafer W.

The cleaning liquid dropped on the inclined portion 68b is
The liquid is flowed to the bottom 65 c and discharged from the first drain pipe 66.
The cleaning liquid that has dropped onto the inclined portion 68c is collected by the groove 69 and discharged from the second drain pipe 70.

The cleaning of the back surface of the wafer W is performed for a predetermined time, and thereafter, the supply of the cleaning liquid is stopped. Then, the wafer W is continuously rotated at a low speed of, for example, 500 rpm, and the cleaning liquid attached to the wafer W is scattered, and the wafer W
Is dried.

When the drying of the wafer W is completed, the rotation of the wafer W is stopped. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred from the spin chuck 60 to the main transfer device 13 and unloaded from the resist coating device 17. Thus, a series of resist coating processing ends.

According to the above-described embodiment, the diffusion suppressing member 68 for suppressing the diffusion of the cleaning liquid is provided on the back surface of the wafer W, and the narrow gap D is formed between the back surface of the wafer W and the proximity portion 68a. Therefore, diffusion of a part of the cleaning liquid that diffuses on the back surface of the wafer W is prevented, and the amount of the cleaning liquid that reaches the edge of the wafer W can be reduced. As a result, the surface tension of the cleaning liquid at the edge of the wafer W decreases,
Even when the wafer W is being rotated at a low speed, the cleaning liquid is preferably scattered outside the wafer W. Therefore, the cleaning liquid is prevented from flowing to the front surface of the wafer W in the back surface cleaning.

The inclined portions 68b and 68c are provided on the center side and the outer side of the proximity portion 68a, respectively, so that the position of the proximity portion 68a is the highest. It flows along the part 68b or 69c. Therefore, the cleaning liquid can be suitably discharged without staying in the vicinity of the proximity portion 68a.

Since the diffusion suppressing member 68 is provided integrally with the cup 65, there is no need to separately provide a support member or the like for the diffusion suppressing member 68, and the diffusion suppressing member 68 is supported using the existing cup 65. be able to. This gives
The resist coating device 17 can be simplified and made compact. In the above embodiment, the upper surface of the proximity portion 68a is angular, but may be flat.

In the above embodiment, a suction unit for sucking the cleaning liquid in the gap D may be provided. FIG.
Shows an example thereof, and a slit 81 as a suction part is provided in the proximity part 80a of the diffusion suppressing member 80. As shown in FIG.
Is provided in an annular shape. An annular pressure adjusting tube 82 is provided in the proximity portion 80a.
As shown in FIG. 7, it communicates with the slit 81. Further, a suction pipe 83 is connected to the pressure adjusting pipe 82. The suction pipe 83 is provided with, for example, a suction pump 84 that can suction at a predetermined pressure. Therefore, the suction pump 84
Thus, the atmosphere in the pressure adjusting tube 82 is sucked from the suction tube 83, and the cleaning liquid in the gap D can be sucked from the slit 81 over the entire circumference of the wafer W by reducing the pressure in the pressure adjusting tube 82.

At the time of back surface cleaning, suction from the slit 81 is performed, and the cleaning liquid diffuses along the back surface of the wafer W, and a part of the cleaning liquid flowing into the gap D is discharged from the slit 81. As a result, the amount of the cleaning liquid reaching the edge of the wafer W can be reduced, and the surface tension of the cleaning liquid at the edge of the wafer W can be reduced. Therefore, the cleaning liquid is appropriately scattered even with a small centrifugal force, and it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from entering the surface of the wafer W. Also,
By adjusting the suction pressure of the suction pump 84, the suction amount of the cleaning liquid can be adjusted, and the amount of the cleaning liquid that reaches the edge of the wafer W can be optimized.

The shape of the suction portion is not limited to an annular slit. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of arc-shaped holes 87 are provided on the approaching portion 86a of the diffusion suppressing member 86 on the same circumference. You may. Even in such a case, since the wafer W is rotating, the amount of the cleaning liquid can be reduced over the entire circumference of the end of the wafer W.

In the above embodiment, the cleaning liquid is
Although the diffusion suppressing member is provided so as not to wrap around the surface of the wafer W, a wraparound preventing member for preventing the cleaning liquid from wrapping around the end face of the wafer W may be provided. Less than,
An example employing such a configuration will be described as a second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 10, the cup 90 has a wraparound member 91 whose tip is close to the end face E of the wafer W.
Is provided. The wraparound member 91 is provided over the entire circumference of the end surface E of the wafer W, and is attached to, for example, the inner wall 90 a of the cup 90. The gap between the leading end portion 91a of the wraparound member 91 and the end face E of the wafer W is, for example, 0.5
１．５1.5 mm. The configuration of the other parts is
The description is omitted because it is the same as that of the first embodiment.

When the back surface of the wafer W is cleaned, the cleaning liquid supplied to the back surface of the wafer W reaches the edge of the wafer W along the back surface of the wafer W as shown in FIG. Is wrapped around the end face E of the wafer W.
Then, the cleaning liquid that has flowed to the end face E of the wafer W enters a narrow gap between the tip end portion 91a of the wrap prevention member 91 and the end face E, and stays there due to the action of surface tension.
Thus, the cleaning liquid newly diffused to the outer edge of the wafer W is prevented from flowing to the end surface E of the wafer W.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from flowing around the surface of the wafer W and mixing with the resist liquid on the wafer W.

In the second embodiment, the wraparound member 91 may be provided with a suction port for sucking the cleaning liquid retained on the end face E of the wafer W. The sneak prevention member 100 shown in FIG. 12 is an example of the sneak prevention member 100.
1 is provided. The suction port 101 is, for example, a suction tube 102
Is connected to a suction pump (not shown). When the back surface of the wafer W is cleaned, the cleaning liquid staying between the end face E of the wafer W and the front end portion 100a is sucked from the suction port 101, and the cleaning liquid is discharged through the suction pipe 102. This prevents the cleaning liquid from flowing around the surface of the wafer W.

In place of the suction port 101, a blowing port for blowing a gas, for example, an inert gas may be provided. The wrap-around preventing member 110 shown in FIG.
An outlet 111 is provided at 0a. The outlet 111 is directed toward the end face E of the wafer W. The outlet 111 is connected to a gas supply source (not shown) by a supply pipe 112. Then, at the time of cleaning the back surface of the wafer W, gas is blown from the outlet 111 toward the end face E of the wafer W, and the wraparound member 110 and the end face E of the wafer W are blown.
A so-called air curtain is formed by the gas. As a result, the back surface of the wafer W is diffused,
Is prevented from reaching the end surface E of the wafer W, and is prevented from reaching the front side of the wafer W.

In the second embodiment, only the wraparound members 91, 100 or 110 are provided in the cup 90. However, the diffusion suppressing member 68 described in the first embodiment is used.
Or you may use together with 80. In such a case, it is possible to more reliably prevent the cleaning liquid from flowing to the front surface of the wafer W, and the back surface of the wafer W is preferably cleaned.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a resist coating apparatus. However, the present invention can be applied to other processing apparatuses, for example, a developing apparatus. The present invention is also applicable to a method for forming a film on a substrate other than the wafer W, for example, an LCD substrate.

[0063]

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from flowing into the surface of the substrate and to alter the processing liquid on the substrate surface, thereby improving the yield.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a coating and developing system equipped with a resist coating apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the coating and developing system of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the coating and developing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section schematically showing the configuration of a resist coating apparatus.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing a configuration of a diffusion suppressing member.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a vertical section of the wafer and a diffusion suppressing member when a cleaning liquid is diffused to the back surface of the outer edge of the wafer.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section of the diffusion suppressing member when a slit is provided in the vicinity of the diffusion suppressing member.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a diffusion suppressing member when a slit is provided in a proximity portion.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a diffusion suppressing member when an arc-shaped hole is provided in a proximity portion.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a vertical section of the cup when a wraparound member is attached to the cup.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of a vertical cross section of the wafer and the wraparound preventing member, showing the flow of the cleaning liquid when the wraparound preventing member is provided.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory view of a vertical section of a wafer and a wraparound prevention member when a suction port is provided in the wraparound prevention member.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory view of a vertical section of a wafer and a wraparound prevention member when a blowout port is provided in the wraparound prevention member.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 coating / developing processing system 17 resist coating device 60 spin chuck 65 cup 68 diffusion suppressing member 68 a proximity portion 71 back surface cleaning nozzle D gap W wafer

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2H025 AA18 AB16 EA05 3B201 AA03 AB33 AB47 BB09 BB24 BB92 CD35 5F046 JA02 JA05 JA07 JA09 JA13 JA15

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a rotation holding unit configured to hold and rotate the substrate; a cleaning nozzle configured to supply a cleaning liquid to a back surface of the substrate held by the rotation holding unit; A diffusion suppressing member that suppresses the diffusion at the outer edge of the substrate when the cleaning liquid supplied to the rear surface of the substrate is diffused toward the outer edge of the substrate along the rear surface of the substrate. A substrate processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The diffusion suppressing member is formed in an annular shape corresponding to an outer edge portion of the substrate, and the diffusion suppressing member is close to a back surface of the substrate held by the rotation holding portion,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a proximity portion that forms a gap narrower than a central portion of the substrate. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the gap is 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a suction unit that suctions at least the cleaning liquid in the gap. 5. The apparatus for processing a substrate according to claim 2, wherein the diffusion suppressing member has an inclined shape such that the position of the adjacent portion is highest. 6. The processing container according to claim 1, further comprising a processing container surrounding the outside of the substrate held by the rotation holding unit, wherein the diffusion suppressing member is attached to the processing container. 6. The apparatus for processing a substrate according to any one of claims 3, 4, and 5. 7. A wraparound member for preventing a cleaning liquid diffused along a back surface of the substrate from flowing along an end surface of the substrate and wrapping around the front surface of the substrate. 7. The apparatus for processing a substrate according to any one of claims 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. 8. A processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a rotation holding unit configured to hold and rotate the substrate; a cleaning nozzle configured to supply a cleaning liquid to a back surface of the substrate held by the rotation holding unit; A wraparound preventing member for preventing the cleaning liquid supplied to the backside of the substrate from flowing along the end surface of the substrate toward the front side of the substrate. 9. The wraparound member is formed in an annular shape corresponding to an end surface of the substrate, and the wraparound member is provided close to an end surface of the substrate. Item 10. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Items 7 and 8. 10. The apparatus for processing a substrate according to claim 7, further comprising a suction port for sucking the cleaning liquid flowing around the end face of the substrate. 11. An air outlet for blowing gas to an end face of said substrate.
Or a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 9. 12. The processing container according to claim 7, further comprising a processing container surrounding the outside of the substrate held by the rotation holding unit, wherein the wraparound preventing member is attached to the processing container. , 9, 10, or 11.