JP2016213438A - Substrate processing method, substrate processing apparatus, and substrate processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method capable of further easily enhancing smoothness of a resist pattern, a device, and a system.SOLUTION: The substrate processing method includes: applying a development process on a resist film formed on a surface of a substrate; providing a space in which the substrate is disposed with an inert gas after the development process; and irradiating the resist film with an energy line through the inert gas.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing method, a substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate processing system.

  In a semiconductor manufacturing process, it is widely performed to form a pattern (hereinafter referred to as “resist pattern”) on a resist film by photolithography. In recent years, with the miniaturization of resist patterns, it is desired to increase the smoothness of the boundary lines of the resist pattern (hereinafter referred to as “smoothness of the resist pattern”). In Patent Document 1, after a resist pattern after development treatment is irradiated with energy rays to dissolve the dissolution inhibiting protective group, a solvent gas is supplied to the surface of the resist pattern so that only the surface of the resist pattern is dissolved. A method is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-19969

  An object of this indication is to provide the method, apparatus, and system which can improve the smoothness of a resist pattern more easily.

  A substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes performing a development process on a resist film formed on a surface of a substrate, supplying an inert gas to a space in which the substrate is disposed after the development process, Irradiating the resist film with energy rays through an active gas.

  In the surface layer portion of the resist pattern formed by photolithography, the chemical reaction in the exposure process and the development process tends to be insufficient. In this case, unevenness is likely to occur in the surface layer portion, and this can be a factor that reduces the smoothness of the resist pattern. On the other hand, portions where the chemical reaction is insufficient in the resist pattern can be sublimated by irradiation with energy rays.

  Therefore, in this substrate processing method, the resist film is irradiated with energy rays after the development processing. Thereby, the surface layer part which the unevenness | corrugation produced is removed, and the smoothness of a resist pattern is improved. Further, the energy beam is irradiated to the resist film through an inert gas. That is, the energy beam is irradiated to the portion of the resist film covered with the inert gas. Thereby, since the generation of gas that can erode the resist pattern, such as ozone, is suppressed, the smoothness of the resist pattern enhanced by irradiation with energy rays is maintained. Accordingly, since the smoothness of the resist pattern can be enhanced without performing a dissolution treatment with a solvent, the smoothness of the boundary line of the resist pattern can be more easily enhanced.

  It may further include heating the substrate after the development processing. In this case, in addition to improving the smoothness of the resist pattern, the stability of the resist pattern is increased by heating, so that a more ideal resist pattern can be obtained.

  Furthermore, according to this substrate processing method, the charged substrate can be neutralized. In a liquid processing step such as development processing, the substrate may be charged. For example, in the case where the processing liquid conduit is formed of a resin tube (for example, a fluororesin tube) that is easily negatively charged, the processing liquid can be positively charged before reaching the substrate. When the positively charged processing liquid is supplied to the surface of the substrate, electrons are likely to collect on the surface of the substrate, which can negatively charge the surface of the substrate. When an energy beam is irradiated on the substrate thus charged, electrons unevenly distributed in the substrate are activated. The activated electrons move so as to eliminate the potential difference generated in the substrate. Thereby, the surface of the substrate is neutralized.

  As another method of discharging the charged substrate, for example, a method of activating electrons by heating, or a substance charged in the opposite polarity (hereinafter referred to as “discharging substance”) is supplied to the surface of the substrate by an ionizer. A method for neutralizing the polarity is exemplified. In the case of a method of activating electrons by heating, the quality of the resist pattern may be adversely affected. In the case of a method using an ionizer, foreign matter may remain on the surface of the substrate. Further, depending on the supply amount of the neutralizing substance, the substrate may be charged with a reverse polarity. On the other hand, according to the technique of irradiating energy rays, the charged substrate can be neutralized without causing adverse effects on the quality of the resist pattern, residual foreign matter, charging of the substrate to the reverse polarity, and the like.

  As a technique for suppressing the charging of the substrate, there is a technique for suppressing the charging of the treatment liquid itself. As a technique for suppressing the charging of the treatment liquid itself, a technique for dissolving carbon dioxide in the treatment liquid can be mentioned. However, since it is difficult to completely prevent the processing liquid from being charged, there is a possibility that the charging of the substrate cannot be sufficiently eliminated. On the other hand, according to the method of neutralizing the charged substrate by energy beam irradiation, the charging of the substrate can be sufficiently eliminated by adjusting the irradiation amount of the energy beam.

  The charging of the substrate may cause a problem in the subsequent process. For example, problems such as destruction of electric circuit elements formed on the substrate may occur. Therefore, this substrate processing method can contribute to the yield improvement in a post process.

  The substrate may be heated after irradiating the resist film with energy rays. In this case, the component adhering to the resist pattern after sublimation by irradiation with energy rays can be removed by heating, so that the smoothness of the resist pattern can be more reliably improved.

  After the development processing, the substrate may be heated before irradiating the resist film with energy rays. In this case, since the supply of the inert gas and the heating of the substrate can be performed in parallel, the throughput can be improved.

  When irradiating the resist film with energy rays, the method may further include transporting the substrate so as to change the irradiation position of the energy rays. In this case, it is possible to reduce the size of the energy beam light source as compared with the case where the entire region of the substrate is irradiated with the energy beam simultaneously.

  Based on at least one of the type of resist film, the size of the pattern formed on the resist film by the development process, and the thickness of the resist film, setting a target value for the amount of energy beam irradiation, It may further include setting the substrate conveyance speed during the irradiation of the energy rays so that the irradiation amount of the substrate approaches the target value. In this case, the smoothness of the resist pattern can be more reliably improved by adjusting the irradiation amount of the energy rays by adjusting the substrate conveyance speed.

  A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a heating unit for heating a substrate, a first processing chamber that stores the substrate, a second processing chamber that is adjacent to the first processing chamber and stores the substrate, A transport mechanism for transporting a substrate from one processing chamber and the second processing chamber to the other, and a first processing chamber side provided in the second processing chamber, and irradiating the surface of the substrate transported by the transport mechanism with energy rays An irradiation unit; and a gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas into the second processing chamber.

  According to this substrate processing apparatus, after the resist film formed on the surface of the substrate is developed, an inert gas is supplied to the space where the substrate is disposed, and energy is supplied to the resist film through the inert gas. Irradiating the line. Therefore, the smoothness of the boundary line of the resist pattern can be improved more easily. Further, since the stability of the resist pattern can be increased by heating, a more ideal resist pattern can be obtained. Furthermore, since the irradiation position of the energy beam can be changed by transporting the substrate by the transport mechanism, the energy beam light source can be downsized as compared with the configuration in which the energy beam is simultaneously irradiated to the entire irradiation target. it can.

  The gas supply unit may have a discharge port that discharges an inert gas so as to block between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber. In this case, when the substrate is transferred from one of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber to the other, leakage of the inert gas from the second processing chamber is suppressed. Thereby, the resist film can be more reliably covered with the inert gas when the energy beam is irradiated. Therefore, the smoothness of the resist pattern can be improved more reliably.

  A first exhaust port that opens into the first processing chamber and discharges gas in the first processing chamber; and a second exhaust port that opens into the second processing chamber and discharges gas in the second processing chamber. Good. In this case, since the component sublimated by irradiation with energy rays and heating is discharged from the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port, it is possible to suppress the component from reattaching to the resist film. Therefore, the smoothness of the resist pattern can be improved more reliably.

  The first exhaust port may be disposed so as to face the surface of the substrate disposed in the first processing chamber. In this case, the component sublimated from the resist film by heating can be more reliably discharged from the first exhaust port.

  A substrate processing system according to the present disclosure includes the substrate processing apparatus, a developing device, and a controller, and the controller controls the developing device to perform a developing process on a resist film formed on the surface of the substrate. After the development processing, the gas supply unit is controlled to supply an inert gas into the second processing chamber, and the transport mechanism is controlled to transport the substrate from one of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber to the other. In addition, when the transport mechanism is transporting the substrate, the irradiation unit is controlled to irradiate the resist film with energy rays through the inert gas.

  In this substrate processing system, the controller performs development processing on the resist film, supplies the inert gas to the space where the substrate is disposed after the development processing, and irradiates the resist film with energy rays through the inert gas. , Can be executed automatically. Therefore, the smoothness of the boundary line of the resist pattern can be improved more easily. Further, the process executed by the controller includes a step of changing the irradiation position of the energy beam by transporting the substrate by the transport mechanism, so that the energy beam is compared with the configuration in which the energy beam is simultaneously irradiated to the entire irradiation target. The light source can be reduced in size.

  A recording medium according to the present disclosure is a computer-readable recording medium that records a program for causing an apparatus to execute the substrate processing method.

  According to the present disclosure, the smoothness of the resist pattern can be more easily improved.

It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of a substrate processing system. It is sectional drawing which follows the II-II line | wire in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the III-III line | wire in FIG. It is a schematic diagram of an energy beam irradiation unit. It is sectional drawing which follows the VV line in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the modification of an energy beam irradiation unit. It is a flowchart which shows a substrate processing procedure. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state in which the board | substrate was carried in to the 2nd process chamber. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state by which the inert gas is supplied to the 2nd process chamber. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state by which the energy beam is irradiated to the resist film. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which raised the board | substrate with the raising / lowering pin. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state by which the board | substrate is heated. It is a flowchart which shows the modification of a substrate processing procedure. It is the figure which expanded the resist pattern by planar view. It is a figure which shows the principle in which the smoothness of a resist pattern is improved. It is a graph which shows the measurement result of the surface potential before and behind irradiation of an energy ray.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements or elements having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[Substrate processing system]
First, an outline of the coating / developing apparatus 2 will be described as an example of a substrate processing system. As shown in FIG. 1, the coating / developing apparatus 2 forms a resist pattern forming system 1 in cooperation with an exposure apparatus 3. The coating / developing apparatus 2 performs a process of forming a resist film on the surface of the wafer W (substrate) before the exposure process by the exposure apparatus 3, and performs a development process of the resist film after the exposure process.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the coating / developing apparatus 2 includes a carrier block 4, a processing block 5, an interface block 6, and a controller 100. The carrier block 4, the processing block 5, and the interface block 6 are arranged in the horizontal direction.

  The carrier block 4 includes a carrier station 12 and a carry-in / carry-out unit 13. The loading / unloading unit 13 is interposed between the carrier station 12 and the processing block 5. The carrier station 12 supports a plurality of carriers 11. The carrier 11 accommodates, for example, a plurality of circular wafers W in a sealed state, and has an open / close door (not shown) for taking in and out the wafers W on the side surface 11a side. The carrier 11 is detachably installed on the carrier station 12 so that the side surface 11a faces the loading / unloading unit 13 side.

  The carry-in / carry-out unit 13 has a plurality of opening / closing doors 13 a corresponding to the plurality of carriers 11 on the carrier station 12. By opening the open / close door and the open / close door 13a on the side surface 11a at the same time, the inside of the carrier 11 and the inside of the carry-in / out unit 13 are communicated. The carry-in / carry-out unit 13 includes a delivery arm A1. The delivery arm A <b> 1 takes out the wafer W from the carrier 11 and delivers it to the processing block 5, receives the wafer W from the processing block 5, and returns it into the carrier 11.

  The processing block 5 has a plurality of processing modules 14, 15, 16, and 17. The processing modules 14, 15, and 16 include a plurality of liquid processing units, a plurality of heat treatment units, and a transfer arm A3 that transfers the wafer W to these units.

  The processing module 14 forms a lower layer film on the surface of the wafer W by a liquid processing unit and a heat treatment unit. The liquid processing unit applies a liquid for forming a lower layer film on the wafer W as an example of the processing liquid. The heat treatment unit performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of the lower layer film. Specific examples of the heat treatment include heat treatment for curing a liquid film formed by applying a liquid.

  The processing module 15 forms a resist film on the lower layer film by a liquid processing unit and a heat treatment unit. The liquid processing unit applies a resist film forming liquid onto the lower layer film as an example of the processing liquid. The heat treatment unit performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of the resist film. Specific examples of the heat treatment include heat treatment for curing a liquid film formed by applying a liquid.

  The processing module 16 forms an upper layer film on the resist film by the liquid processing unit and the heat treatment unit. The liquid processing unit of the processing module 16 applies a liquid for forming an upper layer film on the resist film as an example of the processing liquid. The heat treatment unit of the processing module 16 performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of the upper layer film. Specific examples of the heat treatment include heat treatment for curing a liquid film formed by applying a liquid.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the processing module 17 includes a developing unit U1, a heat treatment unit U2, an energy beam irradiation unit U3, a transfer arm A3 for transferring the wafer W to these units, and these units. A direct transfer arm A6 that transfers the wafer W without passing through is incorporated. The development unit U1 performs development processing on the exposed resist film. Specifically, a developing solution and a rinsing solution are sequentially supplied to the resist film to remove a soluble portion of the resist film. The heat treatment unit U2 performs various heat treatments associated with the development processing. As a specific example of the heat treatment, a heat treatment (PEB: Post Exposure Bake) before the development processing can be given. The energy ray irradiation unit U3 performs a process of irradiating the resist film with energy rays.

  A shelf unit U10 is provided on the carrier block 4 side in the processing block 5. The shelf unit U10 is provided so as to extend from the floor surface to the processing module 16, and is partitioned into a plurality of cells arranged in the vertical direction. An elevating arm A7 is provided in the vicinity of the shelf unit U10. The raising / lowering arm A7 raises / lowers the wafer W between the cells of the shelf unit U10.

  A shelf unit U11 is provided on the interface block 6 side in the processing block 5. The shelf unit U11 is provided so as to extend from the floor surface to the upper part of the processing module 17, and is partitioned into a plurality of cells arranged in the vertical direction.

  The interface block 6 incorporates a delivery arm A8 and is connected to the exposure apparatus 3. The delivery arm A8 delivers the wafer W arranged on the shelf unit U11 to the exposure apparatus 3, receives the wafer W from the exposure apparatus 3, and returns it to the shelf unit U11.

  The controller 100 generally controls the coating / developing apparatus 2 in the following procedure. First, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A1 so as to transfer the wafer W in the carrier 11 to the shelf unit U10, and controls the lift arm A7 so as to place this wafer W in the cell for the processing module 14. Thereafter, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to transfer the wafer W to each unit of the processing module 14, and forms a lower layer film on the surface Wa of the wafer W transferred by the transfer arm A3. And control the heat treatment unit. When the formation of the lower layer film is completed, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to return the wafer W to the shelf unit U10.

  Next, the controller 100 controls the elevating arm A <b> 7 so that the wafer W is placed in the cell for the processing module 15. Thereafter, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to transfer the wafer W to each unit of the processing module 15, and forms a resist film on the lower layer film of the wafer W transferred by the transfer arm A3. And control the heat treatment unit. When the formation of the resist film is completed, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to return the wafer W to the shelf unit U10.

  Next, the controller 100 controls the lifting arm A7 so that the wafer W is placed in the cell for the processing module 16. Thereafter, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to transfer the wafer W to each unit of the processing module 16, and forms a top layer film on the resist film of the wafer W transferred by the transfer arm A3. And control the heat treatment unit. When the formation of the upper layer film is completed, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to return the wafer W to the shelf unit U10.

  Next, the controller 100 controls the lifting arm A7 so that the wafer W is placed in the cell for the processing module 17. Thereafter, the controller 100 directly controls the transfer arm A6 so as to transfer the wafer W to the shelf unit U11, and controls the transfer arm A8 so as to send this wafer W to the exposure apparatus 3. When the exposure process in the exposure apparatus 3 is completed, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A8 so that the wafer W is received from the exposure apparatus 3 and returned to the shelf unit U11.

  Next, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to transfer the wafer W to the developing unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2 of the processing module 17, and develops the resist film on the wafer W transferred by the transfer arm A3. The developing unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2 are controlled so as to perform the heat treatment accompanying the above. Furthermore, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to transfer the wafer W to the energy beam irradiation unit U3, and controls the energy beam irradiation unit U3 to irradiate the resist film with the energy beam. When these processes are completed, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to return the wafer W to the shelf unit U10, and controls the lift arm A7 and the transfer arm A1 to return the wafer W into the carrier 11. Thus, the coating / developing process is completed.

(Substrate processing equipment)
Next, the energy beam irradiation unit U3 will be described in detail as an example of the substrate processing apparatus. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the energy beam irradiation unit U3 includes a first processing chamber 20A, a second processing chamber 20B, a transport mechanism 40, an irradiation unit 50, and a gas supply unit 60.

  The first processing chamber 20 </ b> A has a heating unit 30 for heating the wafer W and accommodates the wafer W. The heating unit 30 illustrated in FIG. 4 includes a hot plate 31 and a lifting mechanism 32. The hot plate 31 is a horizontal plate-like member, and incorporates one or a plurality of heaters therein. The elevating mechanism 32 moves the wafer W up and down on the hot plate 31. For example, the elevating mechanism 32 includes, for example, a plurality of vertical elevating pins 33 (for example, three) elevating pins 33, a support plate 34 that supports the elevating pins 33, and a drive unit 35 that elevates and lowers the support plate 34. It is arranged below. The hot plate 31 is provided with a plurality of through holes respectively corresponding to the plurality of lifting pins 33. As the elevating pin 33 moves up and down, the tip of the elevating pin 33 appears and disappears in the upper part of the hot plate 31. As a result, the wafer W moves up and down on the hot plate 31. In addition, the structure of the heating part 30 is not restricted to what was illustrated in FIG. The heating unit 30 may be anything as long as the wafer W can be heated. For example, the heating unit 30 may irradiate infrared rays to heat the wafer W.

  The second processing chamber 20B is adjacent to the first processing chamber 20A and accommodates the wafer W. The inside of the second processing chamber 20B communicates with the first processing chamber 20A. On the opposite side of the first processing chamber 20A, the second processing chamber 20B opens outward. This opening functions as an entrance / exit of the wafer W.

  The transfer mechanism 40 transfers the wafer W from one of the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B to the other. That is, the transfer mechanism 40 transfers the wafer W from the second processing chamber 20B to the first processing chamber 20A, and also transfers the wafer W from the first processing chamber 20A to the second processing chamber 20B. The transport mechanism 40 illustrated in FIG. 4 includes a cooling plate 41 and a drive unit 42. The cooling plate 41 has a horizontal plate shape and supports the wafer W to be transferred. The cooling plate 41 is formed with a plurality of groove portions 41 a for avoiding interference with the lifting pins 33.

  The cooling plate 41 also plays a role of cooling the wafer W heated by the heating unit 30. In order to quickly cool the wafer W, the cooling plate 41 may be embedded with a conduit for passing a cooling fluid. The drive unit 42 moves the cooling plate 41 along the direction in which the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B are arranged. Specific examples of the drive unit 42 include an electric linear actuator, but are not limited thereto. The drive unit 42 may be anything as long as the cooling plate 41 can be moved and positioned.

  The irradiation unit 50 is provided on the first processing chamber 20A side in the second processing chamber 20B, and irradiates the surface of the wafer W transferred by the transfer mechanism 40 with energy rays. The irradiation unit 50 illustrated in FIG. 4 is attached to the ceiling portion in the second processing chamber 20B, and incorporates a light source that emits energy rays below. Examples of energy rays include ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 172 to 193 nm.

  The gas supply unit 60 supplies an inert gas into the second processing chamber 20B. Examples of the inert gas include nitrogen gas and argon gas. The gas supply unit 60 illustrated in FIG. 4 includes at least one discharge port 61, a supply source 62, and a valve 63. The discharge port 61 opens into the second processing chamber 20B. The supply source 62 supplies an inert gas to the discharge port 61. The valve 63 is provided in a pipeline connecting the supply source 62 and the discharge port 61 and opens and closes the pipeline.

  The discharge port 61 may be arranged in any manner as long as the inert gas can be discharged into the second processing chamber 20B. The gas supply unit 60 may have a plurality of discharge ports 61. At least some of the plurality of discharge ports 61 may be arranged to discharge the inert gas in a direction that blocks between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B. That is, the gas supply unit 60 may include a discharge port 61 that discharges an inert gas so as to block between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B. For example, at least some of the plurality of discharge ports 61 are arranged along the boundary line between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B between the first processing chamber 20A and the irradiation unit 50 and open downward. It may be.

  The energy beam irradiation unit U3 may further include exhaust ports 21A and 21B. The exhaust port 21A (first exhaust port) opens into the first processing chamber 20A and discharges the gas in the first processing chamber 20A. The exhaust port 21B (second exhaust port) opens into the second processing chamber 20B and discharges the gas in the second processing chamber 20B. In the energy beam irradiation unit U3 illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, an exhaust port 21A is provided in the back wall portion of the first processing chamber 20A, and a plurality of exhaust gases are provided in each side wall portion of the second processing chamber 20B. A mouth 21B is provided. These exhaust ports 21 </ b> A and 21 </ b> B are connected to the exhaust duct 22. The gas that has flowed out of the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B into the exhaust duct 22 is discharged through a purification device such as a filter.

  The exhaust ports 21A and 21B may be arranged in any manner as long as the gas in the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B can be discharged. For example, the exhaust port 21A may be disposed so as to face the surface of the wafer W disposed in the first processing chamber 20A. Specifically, the exhaust port 21A may be provided in a ceiling portion in the first processing chamber 20A and may open downward (see FIG. 6).

  The energy beam irradiation unit U3 may further include shutters 23A and 23B. The shutter 23A opens and closes between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B. The shutter 23B opens and closes the upper entry outlet of the second processing chamber 20B. Each of the shutters 23 </ b> A and 23 </ b> B includes, for example, an opening / closing partition plate 24 and a drive unit 25 that moves the partition plate 24 up and down. Specific examples of the drive unit 25 include an electric actuator or an air cylinder.

(controller)
Next, the controller 100 will be described in detail. The controller 100 controls the developing unit U1 so as to perform development processing on at least the resist film formed on the surface of the wafer W, and supplies an inert gas into the second processing chamber 20B after the development processing. Controlling the gas supply unit 60, controlling the transfer mechanism 40 so as to transfer the wafer W from one of the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B to the other, and the transfer mechanism 40 transferring the wafer W The irradiation unit 50 is controlled to irradiate the resist film with energy rays through an inert gas.

  Hereinafter, a specific example of the controller 100 configured as described above will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the controller 100 includes a development control unit 111 and an irradiation control unit 112 as functional modules. The development control unit 111 controls the development unit U1 so as to execute the development process of the resist film. As shown in FIG. 4, the irradiation control unit 112 includes an entry / exit control unit 121, a gas supply control unit 122, a transport control unit 123, and a light source control unit 124. The entrance / exit control unit 121 controls the shutter 23B to open and close the entrance / exit of the second processing chamber 20B. The gas supply control unit 122 controls the gas supply unit 60 so as to open and close the valve 63. The transfer control unit 123 controls the transfer mechanism 40 to transfer the wafer W from one of the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B to the other. The light source control unit 124 controls the irradiation unit 50 to emit energy rays.

  The controller 100 is constituted by, for example, one or a plurality of control computers, and constitutes each functional module according to a program recorded in the memory. The controller 100 may be configured to read the program from a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, or an optical disk. The program includes a program for causing the coating / developing apparatus 2 to execute a substrate processing method described later.

[Substrate processing method]
Subsequently, as an example of the substrate processing method, a processing procedure executed in the processing module 17 of the coating / developing apparatus 2 will be described in detail. In this processing procedure, at least the resist film formed on the surface of the wafer W is subjected to a development process, and after the development process, an inert gas is supplied to the space where the wafer W is disposed, and the inert gas is passed through. Irradiating the resist film with energy rays. This processing procedure may further include heating the wafer W after the development processing, and when the resist film is irradiated with the energy beam, the wafer W is transferred so as to change the irradiation position of the energy beam. It may further include.

  These processing procedures are executed by the controller 100 controlling the coating / developing apparatus 2. Hereinafter, specific examples of these processing procedures will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the controller 100 first executes step S01. In step S01, the development control unit 111 controls the development unit U1 to perform development processing on the resist film, and controls the heat treatment unit U2 to perform various heat treatments associated with the development processing. Next, the controller 100 executes step S02. In step S02, the entrance / exit control unit 121 controls the shutter 23B so that the entrance / exit of the second processing chamber 20B is opened and the wafer W can be received (see FIG. 8). In this state, the developed wafer W is loaded into the second processing chamber 20B by the transfer arm A3. When the wafer W is loaded into the second processing chamber 20B, the entrance / exit control unit 121 controls the shutter 23B to close the entrance / exit.

  Next, the controller 100 executes step S03. In step S03, the gas supply control unit 122 controls the gas supply unit 60 so as to supply the inert gas G into the second processing chamber 20B (see FIG. 9). As the supply of the inert gas G and the exhaust from the exhaust port 21B proceed simultaneously, the gas in the second processing chamber 20B is replaced with the inert gas G.

  Next, the controller 100 executes step S04. In step S04, the transfer control unit 123 controls the shutter 23A so as to open the space between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B. The gas supply control unit 122 may control the gas supply unit 60 to continue the discharge of the inert gas from the discharge port 61 after the space between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B is opened. Good. In the case where the inert gas G is discharged so that at least a part of the plurality of discharge ports 61 blocks between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B, the second processing chamber is caused by the shielding effect of the airflow. Leakage of the inert gas G from the 20B side to the first processing chamber 20A side is suppressed.

  After the space between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B is opened, the transfer control unit 123 controls the transfer mechanism 40 so as to transfer the wafer W from the second processing chamber 20B to the first processing chamber 20A. . When the transfer mechanism 40 is transferring the wafer W from the second processing chamber 20B to the first processing chamber 20A, the light source control unit 124 controls the irradiation unit 50 to irradiate energy rays (see FIG. 10). . Since the inert gas G is filled in the second processing chamber 20B, the inert gas G is interposed between the irradiation unit 50 and the resist film. That is, the energy beam is irradiated to the resist film through the inert gas G. When the transfer of the wafer W is completed, the light source control unit 124 controls the irradiation unit 50 so as to stop the irradiation of energy rays.

  The amount of energy beam irradiation in step S04 is determined by the dose emitted from the irradiation unit 50 and the transfer speed of the wafer W. That is, it is possible to adjust the irradiation amount of the energy rays according to the transfer speed of the wafer W. The amount of energy beam irradiation required varies depending on, for example, the type of resist film, the size of a pattern (resist pattern) formed on the resist film by development processing, the thickness of the resist film, and the like. Therefore, the processing procedure executed by the energy beam irradiation unit U3 sets the target value of the energy beam irradiation amount based on at least one of the resist film type, the resist pattern size, and the resist film thickness. In addition, it may further include setting the conveyance speed of the wafer W during the irradiation with the energy rays so that the irradiation amount of the energy rays with respect to the resist film approaches the target value (for example, substantially matches). That is, the controller 100 sets a target value of the energy beam irradiation amount based on at least one of the type of resist film, the size of the resist pattern, and the thickness of the resist film, and the energy beam irradiation amount on the resist film. It may be configured to further execute the setting of the transfer speed of the wafer W during the irradiation with the energy rays so that the value approaches the target value (for example, substantially matches).

  The target value can be set, for example, by referring to a table created in advance through experiments. It is also possible to calculate using an approximate function obtained in advance by experiment. “Substantially matches the target value” includes a state in which an acceptable minute deviation remains.

  Next, the controller 100 executes step S05. In step S <b> 05, the transfer control unit 123 controls the transfer mechanism 40 and the lifting mechanism 32 so that the wafer W is placed on the hot plate 31. Specifically, the transfer control unit 123 controls the transfer mechanism 40 to transfer the wafer W to above the hot platen 31. Thereafter, the transfer control unit 123 controls the elevating mechanism 32 to raise the wafer W on the cooling plate 41 by raising the elevating pins 33 by the driving unit 35 (see FIG. 11). Thereafter, the transfer control unit 123 controls the transfer mechanism 40 so as to return the cooling plate 41 into the second processing chamber 20 </ b> B, and lowers the elevating pins 33 by the drive unit 35 to place the wafer W on the hot plate 31. Thus, the lifting mechanism 32 is controlled (see FIG. 12). When the cooling plate 41 returns to the second processing chamber 20B, the transfer control unit 123 controls the shutter 23A so as to close the space between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B.

  When the preset heating time has elapsed and the heating of the wafer W by the heating unit 30 is completed, the controller 100 executes step S06. In step S06, the transfer control unit 123 controls the shutter 23A, the lifting mechanism 32, and the transfer mechanism 40 so that the wafer W is returned to the cooling plate 41 in the reverse order of step S05. Thereafter, the transfer control unit 123 controls the transfer mechanism 40 so as to transfer the wafer W from the first processing chamber 20A to the second processing chamber 20B. When the transfer of the wafer W is completed, the transfer control unit 123 controls the shutter 23A so as to close the space between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B.

  Next, the controller 100 executes step S07. In step S07, the entrance / exit control unit 121 controls the shutter 23B to open the entrance / exit of the second processing chamber 20B. Thereafter, the wafer W on the cooling plate 41 is unloaded by the transfer arm A3, and the processing is completed.

  The processing procedures of the developing unit U1 and the energy beam irradiation unit U3 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the wafer W may be heated after the development process and before irradiating the resist film with energy rays. A specific example of the processing procedure in this case will be described. As shown in FIG. 13, the controller 100 first executes steps S11 and S12 similar to steps S01 and S02.

  Next, the controller 100 performs step S13. In step S13, the transfer control unit 123 controls the transfer mechanism 40 so as to place the wafer W in the first processing chamber 20A. For example, the transfer control unit 123 controls the shutter 23A so as to open between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B, and then transfers the wafer W from the second processing chamber 20B to the first processing chamber 20A. The transport mechanism 40 is controlled. Further, the transfer control unit 123 controls the transfer mechanism 40 and the lifting mechanism 32 so that the wafer W is placed on the hot plate 31 and the cooling plate 41 is returned to the second process chamber 20B, and then the first process chamber 20A. The shutter 23A is controlled so as to close the space between the second processing chamber 20B.

  Next, the controller 100 performs step S14. In step S14, when the heating unit 30 is heating the wafer W, the gas supply control unit 122 controls the gas supply unit 60 so as to supply an inert gas into the second processing chamber 20B.

  Next, the controller 100 performs step S15. In step S15, the transfer control unit 123 controls the elevating mechanism 32, the shutter 23A, and the transfer mechanism 40 so as to return the wafer W onto the cooling plate 41 in the reverse order of step S13. Further, the transfer control unit 123 controls the transfer mechanism 40 so as to transfer the wafer W from the first processing chamber 20A to the second processing chamber 20B. When the transfer mechanism 40 is transferring the wafer W from the first processing chamber 20A to the second processing chamber 20B, the light source control unit 124 controls the irradiation unit 50 to irradiate the resist film with energy rays.

  In step S14, since the gas in the second processing chamber 20B is replaced with the inert gas, the inert gas is interposed between the irradiation unit 50 and the resist film. That is, the energy beam is irradiated to the resist film through the inert gas G. When the transfer of the wafer W is completed, the light source control unit 124 controls the irradiation unit 50 so as to stop the irradiation of energy rays. The transfer control unit 123 controls the shutter 23A so as to close the space between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B.

  Next, the controller 100 performs step S16 similar to step S07. This completes the process.

[Effect of this embodiment]
As described above, in the substrate processing method executed by the coating / developing apparatus 2, the resist film formed on the surface of the wafer W is subjected to the developing process, and the wafer W is disposed after the developing process. Including supplying an inert gas to the space and irradiating the resist film with energy rays through the inert gas.

  As shown in FIG. 14, in the surface layer portion 91 of the resist pattern 90 formed by photolithography, the chemical reaction in the exposure process and the development process tends to be insufficient. In this case, the surface layer portion 91 is likely to be uneven, and this can be a factor that reduces the smoothness of the resist pattern. On the other hand, portions where the chemical reaction is insufficient in the resist pattern 90 can be sublimated by irradiation with energy rays.

  Therefore, in this substrate processing method, the resist film is irradiated with energy rays after the development processing. As a result, as shown in FIG. 15, the surface layer portion 91 where the unevenness is generated is removed, and the smoothness of the resist pattern 90 is improved. Further, the energy beam is irradiated to the resist film through an inert gas. That is, the energy beam is irradiated to the portion of the resist film covered with the inert gas. Thereby, since the generation of gas that can erode the resist pattern, such as ozone, is suppressed, the smoothness of the resist pattern enhanced by irradiation with energy rays is maintained. Accordingly, since the smoothness of the resist pattern can be enhanced without performing a dissolution treatment with a solvent, the smoothness of the boundary line of the resist pattern can be more easily enhanced.

  Furthermore, according to this substrate processing method, the charged wafer W can be neutralized. In a liquid processing step such as development processing, the wafer W may be charged. For example, when the processing liquid conduit is formed of a resin tube (for example, a fluororesin tube) that is easily negatively charged, the processing liquid can be positively charged before reaching the wafer W. When the positively charged processing liquid is supplied to the front surface Wa of the wafer W, electrons are easily collected on the front surface Wa, and thus the front surface Wa can be negatively charged. When energy rays are irradiated onto the wafer W thus charged, electrons unevenly distributed in the wafer W are activated. The activated electrons move so as to eliminate the potential difference generated in the wafer W. Thereby, the surface of the wafer W is neutralized.

  As another method of discharging the charged wafer W, for example, a method of activating electrons by heating, or a substance charged in reverse polarity (hereinafter referred to as “substance for discharging”) is supplied to the surface Wa by an ionizer. A method for neutralizing the polarity is exemplified. In the case of a method of activating electrons by heating, the quality of the resist pattern may be adversely affected. In the case of a method using an ionizer, foreign matter may remain on the surface Wa. Further, depending on the supply amount of the static elimination substance, the wafer W may be charged with a reverse polarity. On the other hand, according to the method of irradiating energy rays, the charged wafer W can be neutralized without causing adverse effects on the quality of the resist pattern, residual foreign matter, and charging the wafer W to the opposite polarity. it can.

  As a technique for suppressing the charging of the wafer W, there is a technique for suppressing the charging of the processing liquid itself. As a technique for suppressing the charging of the treatment liquid itself, a technique for dissolving carbon dioxide in the treatment liquid can be mentioned. However, since it is difficult to completely prevent the processing liquid from being charged, there is a possibility that the charging of the wafer W cannot be sufficiently eliminated. On the other hand, according to the method of neutralizing the charged wafer W by irradiating the energy beam, the charging of the wafer W can be sufficiently eliminated by adjusting the irradiation amount of the energy beam.

  The charging of the wafer W may cause a problem in the subsequent process. For example, there is a possibility that problems such as destruction of electric circuit elements formed on the wafer W may occur. Therefore, this substrate processing method can contribute to the yield improvement in a post process.

  It may further include heating the wafer W after the development processing. In this case, in addition to improving the smoothness of the resist pattern, the stability of the resist pattern is increased by heating, so that a more ideal resist pattern can be obtained.

  The wafer W may be heated after irradiating the resist film with energy rays. In this case, the component adhering to the resist pattern after sublimation by irradiation with energy rays can be removed by heating, so that the smoothness of the resist pattern can be more reliably improved.

  After the development processing, the wafer W may be heated before irradiating the resist film with energy rays. In this case, since the supply of the inert gas and the heating of the wafer W can be performed in parallel, the throughput can be improved.

  When irradiating the resist film with energy rays, the method may further include conveying the wafer W so as to change the irradiation position of the energy rays. In this case, it is possible to reduce the size of the energy beam light source as compared to the case where the entire area of the wafer W is irradiated with the energy beam at the same time.

  Based on at least one of the type of resist film, the size of the resist pattern, and the thickness of the resist film, setting a target value of the energy beam irradiation amount, and setting the energy beam irradiation amount on the resist film to the target value It may further include setting the transfer speed of the wafer W during the irradiation of the energy rays so as to approach the target. In this case, the smoothness of the resist pattern can be more reliably improved by adjusting the irradiation amount of the energy rays by adjusting the transfer speed of the wafer W.

  According to the coating / developing apparatus 2, the above substrate processing method can be automatically executed by the controller 100. Therefore, the smoothness of the boundary line of the resist pattern can be improved more easily.

  The gas supply unit 60 of the energy beam irradiation unit U3 may include a discharge port 61 that discharges an inert gas so as to block between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B. In this case, when the wafer W is transferred from one of the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B to the other, leakage of the inert gas from the second processing chamber 20B is suppressed. Thereby, the resist film can be more reliably covered with the inert gas when the energy beam is irradiated. Therefore, the smoothness of the resist pattern can be improved more reliably.

  The energy beam irradiation unit U3 opens into the first processing chamber 20A, opens to the exhaust port 21A for exhausting the gas within the first processing chamber 20A, and opens into the second processing chamber 20B, and within the second processing chamber 20B. You may further provide the exhaust port 21B which discharges | emits gas. In this case, since the component sublimated by the irradiation and heating of the energy beam is discharged from the exhaust ports 21A and 21B, it is possible to suppress the component from reattaching to the resist film. Therefore, the smoothness of the resist pattern can be improved more reliably.

  The exhaust port 21A may be arranged so as to face the surface of the wafer W arranged in the first processing chamber 20A. In this case, the component sublimated from the resist film by heating can be more reliably discharged from the exhaust port 21A.

  Although the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the configuration exemplified as the energy beam irradiation unit U3 can be applied to a configuration in which a substrate other than a semiconductor wafer is a processing target. Examples of the substrate to be processed include a glass substrate, a mask substrate, and an FPD (Flat Panel Display).

  Hereinafter, examples will be described, but the present invention is not limited to the examples.

[Example 1]
(1) Sample preparation (Sample 1)
Using a resist agent for ArF laser, a resist film with a thickness of 80 nm was formed on the wafer. The resist film was developed to obtain a resist pattern. Thereafter, the resist film was irradiated with ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 172 nm in air to prepare a sample. The irradiation amount was 80 mJ.

(Sample 2)
After obtaining a resist pattern similar to that of sample 1, a sample was prepared by irradiating the resist film with ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 172 nm in nitrogen gas. The irradiation amount was 80 mJ.

(Sample 3)
After obtaining a resist pattern similar to that of Sample 1, a sample was prepared without performing energy beam irradiation.

(2) Comparative evaluation About each sample, the enlarged image data of a resist pattern is acquired using an electron microscope, and line width average value, LER (Line Edge Roughness) and LWR (Line Width Roughness) are calculated based on the image data did. LER is a value indicating a variation from a reference line (for example, a center line) of the resist pattern to a side edge of the resist pattern, and LWR is a value indicating a variation in the line width of the resist pattern. In this evaluation, both LER and LWR were calculated as 3 times the standard deviation. The calculated numerical values were comparatively evaluated, and the following results were obtained.
Results 1) The difference between the average line width of samples 1 and 2 and the average line width of sample 3 was slight (difference of less than 1%).
Result 2) LER and LWR of sample 1 were about 9% smaller than sample 3.
Result 3) LER and LWR of Sample 2 were about 9% smaller than Sample 1.

  From the above result 1, it was confirmed that the influence on the line width was slight even when the energy beam was irradiated. From the above result 2, it was confirmed that the smoothness of the resist pattern is enhanced by irradiation with energy rays. From the above result 3, it was confirmed that the smoothness of the resist pattern can be further improved by supplying an inert gas.

[Example 2]
(1) Sample preparation (Sample 4)
A wafer having a negatively charged surface was prepared, and ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 172 nm was irradiated onto the wafer surface at an irradiation amount of 100 mJ.

(Sample 5)
After obtaining the same resist pattern as that of sample 4, the surface of the wafer was irradiated with ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 172 nm at an irradiation amount of 200 mJ.

(Sample 6)
After obtaining the same resist pattern as that of sample 4, the surface of the wafer was irradiated with ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 172 nm at an irradiation amount of 500 mJ.

(Sample 7)
After obtaining a resist pattern similar to that of sample 4, the surface of the wafer was irradiated with ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 172 nm at an irradiation amount of 1000 mJ.

(Sample 8)
After obtaining the same resist pattern as that of sample 4, the surface of the wafer was irradiated with ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 172 nm at an irradiation amount of 2000 mJ.

(2) Evaluation of static elimination effect For each sample, the surface potential of the wafer before and after ultraviolet irradiation was measured. The measurement results are shown in FIG. FIG. 16 shows the measured surface potential as a bar graph for each sample. The bar graph with large pitch hatching is the surface potential before ultraviolet irradiation, and the bar graph with small pitch hatching is the surface potential after ultraviolet irradiation. As shown in FIG. 16, in any sample, it was confirmed that the surface potential was lowered by irradiation with energy rays.

  In addition, from the measurement results of samples (samples 4 to 6) with an irradiation dose of up to 500 mJ, it was confirmed that as the irradiation dose increased, a large charge removal effect was obtained, and the surface potential approached zero.

  Further, from the measurement results of samples (samples 6 to 8) with an irradiation dose of 500 mJ or more, even if the minimum irradiation dose that can make the surface potential zero is exceeded, the surface potential is kept substantially zero and the wafer is reversed. The phenomenon of being charged to polarity was not substantially confirmed.

  From the above, it has been confirmed that irradiation with energy rays is effective for neutralizing a charged wafer.

  2 ... Coating / developing apparatus (substrate processing system), 20A ... first processing chamber, 20B ... second processing chamber, 21A ... exhaust port (first exhaust port), 21B ... exhaust port (second exhaust port), 30 ... Heating unit, 40 ... transport mechanism, 50 ... irradiation unit, 60 ... gas supply unit, 61 ... discharge port, 100 ... controller, U3 ... energy beam irradiation unit (substrate processing apparatus), W ... wafer.

Claims (12)

Performing a development process on the resist film formed on the surface of the substrate;
After the development processing, supplying an inert gas to a space in which the substrate is disposed;
Irradiating the resist film with energy rays through the inert gas.   The substrate processing method according to claim 1, further comprising heating the substrate after the development processing.   The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is heated after the resist film is irradiated with the energy beam.   The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is heated after the development processing and before the energy film is irradiated to the resist film.   The substrate processing method according to claim 1, further comprising transporting the substrate so as to change an irradiation position of the energy beam when the energy film is irradiated to the resist film. . Setting a target value of the energy beam irradiation amount based on at least one of the type of the resist film, the size of the pattern formed on the resist film by the development process, and the thickness of the resist film;
The substrate processing method according to claim 5, further comprising setting a transport speed of the substrate during irradiation with the energy beam such that an irradiation amount of the energy beam with respect to the resist film approaches the target value. A first processing chamber having a heating unit for heating the substrate, and housing the substrate;
A second processing chamber adjacent to the first processing chamber and containing the substrate;
A transport mechanism for transporting the substrate from one of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber to the other;
An irradiation unit provided on the first processing chamber side in the second processing chamber and irradiating the surface of the substrate transported by the transport mechanism with energy rays;
And a gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas into the second processing chamber.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the gas supply unit has a discharge port that discharges the inert gas so as to block between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber.   A first exhaust port that opens into the first processing chamber and discharges gas in the first processing chamber; and a second exhaust port that opens into the second processing chamber and discharges gas in the second processing chamber. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first exhaust port is disposed so as to face a surface of the substrate disposed in the first processing chamber. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 10, a developing device, and a controller.
The controller is
Controlling the developing device so as to perform development processing on the resist film formed on the surface of the substrate;
Controlling the gas supply unit to supply the inert gas into the second processing chamber after the development processing;
Controlling the transport mechanism to transport the substrate from one of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber to the other;
The substrate is configured to execute controlling the irradiation unit to irradiate the resist film with the energy beam through the inert gas when the transfer mechanism is transferring the substrate. Processing system.   A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing the apparatus to execute the substrate processing method according to claim 1.

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