Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – With developing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-17
2001-08-28
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
With developing
C355S028000, C355S029000, C396S611000, C118S052000, C118S056000, C118S058000, C118S666000, C118S667000, C118S668000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06281962
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing apparatus applied to the photolithography for forming a desired pattern of a resist film, for example, on a semiconductor wafer and a substrate such as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device or the like and a processing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In processes of semiconductor device fabrication, the photolithography for forming a resist film, for example, on a surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as “a wafer”) or the like is performed. The photolithography consists of various processing steps such as resist coating processing for coating a wafer with a resist, exposure processing for exposing the resist-coated wafer, thermal processing for heating the wafer, developing processing for developing the exposed wafer, and the like, and these various processing steps are performed, for example, in a coating and developing system.
In the above fabrication processes, a wafer inspection process for inspecting whether the thickness of a resist film or the pattern-formed line width is formed into a predetermined thickness or a predetermined line width, for example, is performed for wafers which have undergone resist coating processing or developing processing. The wafer inspection process is performed in inspection equipment provided independently of the coating and developing system.
Specifically, an operator selects a wafer out of wafers which have undergone resist coating processing, developing processing, or the like, for example, for every given period of time or every given number of wafers, and takes the selected wafer to the place of the inspection equipment to inspect the surface of the wafer.
However, a wafer selected from the resist coating unit, a developing unit, or the like is taken to inspection equipment to undergo inspections by an operator himself or herself, whereby there is a possibility that the wafer is artificially contaminated while being taken to the inspection equipment or when being carried into the equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus and a processing method thereof capable of preventing artificial contamination of a substrate.
To attain the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is a processing apparatus for coating a substrate with a resist and developing the exposed resist on the substrate, comprising a plurality of kinds of processing units for performing processing necessary for coating the substrate with the resist and processing necessary for developing the resist on the substrate, inspection equipment for inspecting the substrate which has undergone processing in one of the processing units and detecting the presence or absence of a defect in the substrate, and transfer means for transferring the substrate between the processing units and between the processing units and the inspection equipment.
A second aspect of the present invention is a processing apparatus for coating a substrate with a resist and developing the exposed resist on the substrate, comprising (a) a processing station including a coating unit for coating the substrate with the resist, a developing unit for developing the exposed resist on the substrate, and a first transfer device for transferring the substrate between the coating unit and the developing unit, and (b) a housing station disposed adjacent to the processing station, including inspection equipment for detecting the presence or absence of a defect in the substrate, a housing section for housing a plurality of substrates before and after processing in the processing station and a plurality of substrates in which defects are detected by the inspection equipment, and a second transfer device for transferring the substrate between the processing station and the housing section.
A third aspect of the present invention is a processing apparatus for coating a substrate with a resist and developing the exposed resist on the substrate, comprising (a) a processing station including a coating unit for coating the substrate with the resist, a developing unit for developing the exposed resist on the substrate, a multi-tiered processing unit group in which at least a heating unit for heat-treating the substrate and inspection equipment for detecting the presence or absence of a defect in the substrate are multi-tiered, and a first transfer device for transferring the substrate between the coating unit, the developing unit, and the multi-tiered processing unit group, and (b) a housing station disposed adjacent to the processing station, including a housing section for housing a plurality of substrates before and after processing in the processing station, and a plurality of substrates in which defects are detected by the inspection equipment, and a second transfer device for transferring the substrate between the processing station and the housing section.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is a processing apparatus, disposed adjacent to an aligner for exposing a resist coated on a substrate, for coating the substrate with the resist and developing the resist on the substrate exposed by the aligner, comprising (a) a processing station including a coating unit for coating the substrate with the resist, a developing unit for developing the exposed resist on the substrate, a delivery unit for delivering the substrate, and a first transfer device for transferring the substrate between the coating unit, the developing unit, and the delivery unit, and (b) an interface section disposed between the processing station and the aligner, including a housing section for temporarily housing the substrate which is carried into/out of the aligner, inspection equipment for detecting the presence or absence of a defect in the substrate, and a second transfer device for transferring the substrate between the aligner, the delivery unit in the processing station, the housing section, and the inspection equipment.
A fifth aspect of the present invention is a processing apparatus, disposed adjacent to an aligner for exposing a resist coated on a substrate, for coating the substrate with the resist and developing the resist on the substrate exposed by the aligner, comprising (a) a processing station including a coating unit for coating the substrate with the resist, a developing unit for developing the exposed resist on the substrate, and a first transfer device for transferring the substrate between the coating unit and the developing unit, (b) a housing station disposed adjacent to the processing station, including a housing section for housing a plurality of substrates before and after processing in the processing station, and a second transfer device for transferring the substrate between the processing station and the housing section, (c) inspection equipment for detecting the presence or absence of a defect in the substrate, and (d) an interface section disposed between the processing station and the aligner, including a housing section for temporarily housing the substrate which is carried into/out of the aligner, and a third transfer device for transferring the substrate between the aligner, the processing station, and the inspection equipment, the interface section, into which the substrate is permitted to be carried by the third transfer device, having a defective substrate housing section for housing a plurality of substrates in which defects are detected in the inspection equipment, and the processing station, out of which the substrate is permitted to be carried by the second transfer device, having a stripper for stripping the resist of the substrate in which a defect is detected in the inspection equipment, and further having transfer means for transferring the substrate from the defective substrate housing section to the stripper.
A sixth aspect of the present invention is a processing method in a processing apparatus comprising a plurality of kinds of processing units for performing processing nec
Nishimuko Koki
Ogata Kunie
Adams Russell
Brown Khaled
Rader Fishman & Grauer
Tokyo Electron Limited
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