Coating apparatus – With vacuum or fluid pressure chamber
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-19
2001-07-17
Edwards, Laura (Department: 1734)
Coating apparatus
With vacuum or fluid pressure chamber
C118S059000, C118S064000, C118S066000, C118S069000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261365
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat treatment method, a heat treatment apparatus and a treatment system useful, for example, for forming an SOD (Spin On Dielectric) film on a semiconductor wafer or for photo-resist treatment in a process of semiconductor device fabrication.
2. Description of the Related Art
When forming an organic SOD film such as plastic on a semiconductor wafer (referred to as “a wafer” hereinafter), the process is generally carried out as described below.
First, while the wafer mounted on a spin chuck is rotated, a coating solution is supplied onto a rotational center of the wafer. Thereby, the supplied coating solution is spread out on the whole surface of the wafer by centrifugal force. Next, the wafer coated with the coating solution is heat-treated, for example, at about 400° C. in an oven. Thereafter, the wafer is carried to a cooling treatment apparatus by a carrying apparatus to be cooled by the cooling treatment apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, when the coating solution is organic such as plastic, there is a disadvantage that the heat treatment at high temperatures as described above causes the coating solution on the substrate to oxidize.
Furthermore, the heat-treated wafer is gradually cooled while carried by the carrying apparatus, there is a possibility that the heat treatment still proceeds, resulting in that the heat treatment is excessively performed.
An object of the present invention is to provide a heat treatment method, a heat treatment apparatus and a treatment system capable of heat-treating a substrate, controlling the oxidization of a coating solution.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat treatment method, a heat treatment apparatus and a treatment system capable of instantly starting cooling treatment of the heat-treated substrate.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a heat treatment method, a heat treatment apparatus and a treatment system in which a fine adjustment for performing an appropriate cooling is easy and also the mechanism is simple.
To attain the above objects, the first aspect of the present invention, in a method to heat-treat a substrate, includes the processes of: (a) controlling a gas concentration of an atmosphere in which heat treatment is carried out; and (b) heat-treating the substrate in the atmosphere of which the gas concentration is controlled.
The second aspect of the present invention, in a method to heat-treat a substrate coated with a coating solution which oxidizes at high temperatures, includes the processes of: (a) lowering an oxygen concentration of a treatment atmosphere when the temperature is low; (b) heat-treating the substrate in the treatment atmosphere of which the oxygen concentration is lowered; and (c) returning the treatment atmosphere to that with the original oxygen concentration after completing the heat treatment.
The third aspect of the present invention, in a heat treatment apparatus, includes: a treatment chamber; a holding member provided in the treatment chamber for holding the substrate coated with an organic coating solution; a means for replacing an atmosphere in the treatment chamber with inert gas; a means for heat-treating the substrate held by the holding member in the atmosphere which is replaced with the inert gas by the replacing means; and a means for exposing the inside of the treatment chamber to the air after the passage of a predetermined time from the completion of the heat treatment.
The fourth aspect of the present invention, in a heat treatment apparatus, includes: a treatment chamber; a holding member provided in the treatment chamber for holding the substrate coated with an organic coating solution; a means for replacing an atmosphere in the treatment chamber with inert gas; a means for heat-treating the substrate held by the holding member in the atmosphere which is replaced with the inert gas by the replacing means; a means for measuring the temperature of the substrate to be heat-treated; and a means for exposing the inside of the treatment chamber to the air when the temperature of the substrate becomes lower than a predetermined value after completing the heat treatment.
The fifth aspect of the present invention, in a treatment system, includes: a treatment chamber; a holding member provided in the treatment chamber for holding the substrate coated with an organic coating solution; a means for replacing an atmosphere in the treatment chamber with inert gas; a means for heat-treating the substrate held by the holding member in the atmosphere which is replaced with the inert gas by the replacing means; a means for exposing the inside of the treatment chamber to the air after the passage of a predetermined time from the completion of the heat treatment; and a carrying apparatus disposed in the treatment chamber for carrying the substrate in/out, and in which the carrying apparatus includes: a holding and cooling plate for holding and cooling the substrate; and adjusting and supporting pins disposed adjustably in height on the holding and cooling plate for supporting the substrate to be apart from the holding and cooling plate.
In the present invention, when a substrate coated with a coating solution which oxidizes at high temperatures is heat-treated, a gas concentration such as an oxygen concentration or the like of an atmosphere in which heat treatment is performed is controlled so that, for example, the treatment atmosphere is replaced with inert gas. Therefore, the substrate can be heat-treated, with the oxidization of the coating solution being controlled.
In a state that the substrate is supported by support pins and apart from a surface of the holding and heating member, the atmosphere in the treatment chamber is replaced with the inert gas. The support pins withdraw, thereby the substrate abuts on the surface of the holding and heating member to be heat-treated. After completing the heat treatment, the substrate is separated from the surface of the holding and heating member by projecting the support pins. Further, after the passage of a predetermined time or when the temperature of the substrate is lowered than a predetermined value, a lid body is opened to expose the inside of the treatment chamber to the air. The above structure easily enables replacement with inert gas, heat treatment after the replacement, and cooling after the heat treatment. If replacement with inert gas and heat treatment after the replacement are intended to be realized by controlling the temperature of the holding and heating member, temperature-controlling is difficult and especially it is difficult that the temperature is returned to the original value (e. g., room temperature) to perform the next replacement after heating.
Moreover, in the treatment system of the present invention, adjusting and supporting pins which are placed on the holding and cooling plate of the carrying apparatus can be adjusted in height, therefore a very simple structure enables a fine adjustment to be easily performed for an appropriate cooling.
The sixth aspect of the present invention, in a treatment system, includes: a casing; a heating and mounting table provided in the casing for heating the mounted substrate to a predetermined temperature; a hoisting and lowering member provided at the heating and mounting table and vertically movable with holding the substrate; and a cooling and mounting table provided in the casing and capable of receiving the substrate which is supported by the hoisting and lowering member for cooling the received substrate to a predetermined temperature.
According to the present invention, it is unnecessary to include a process of carrying the substrate from the heating and mounting table to the cooling and mounting table by an extra-provided carrying means, and cooling treatment can be performed by the cooling and mounting table immediately after receiving the heat-treated substrate. Consequently, an exceed heat treatment can be prevented, a pattern i
Matsuyama Yuji
Mizutani Yoji
Nagashima Shinji
Yonemizu Akira
Edwards Laura
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Tokyo Electron Limited
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