Coating apparatus – Control means responsive to a randomly occurring sensed... – Temperature responsive
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-29
2003-09-16
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Coating apparatus
Control means responsive to a randomly occurring sensed...
Temperature responsive
C118S666000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06620245
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coating apparatus which applies solutions such as a resist solution and a developing solution onto substrates such as a semi-conductor wafer and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a photolithography step in a process of semiconductor device fabrication, for example, a resist solution coating process for forming a resist film onto a front face of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as a “wafer”) is performed and a developing process is performed against a wafer coated with a resist film after the exposure.
When looking at a resist solution coating process, methods like a spin coating method is used often as a method for applying resist solution onto a front face of a wafer uniformly.
Application of the resist solution by the spin coating method is performed by spinning a wafer while being vacuum sucked on a spin chuck, and supplying the resist solution by dripping it from a nozzle onto the front face of a wafer right above the rotation center. The resist solution is being spread from the center of the wafer to the whole surface by centrifugal force.
In this kind of a resist coating apparatus, a quality of a resist film is being considered and the resist solution controlled in a predetermined temperature is supplied onto a wafer. Such temperature control of the resist solution is performed, for example, by a temperature controlling pipe provided around the tip of the nozzle for discharging the resist solution, where the temperature controlling pipe is disposed in such a manner to surround the resist solution pipe that resist solution flows therein. Temperature control of the resist solution is performed indirectly by having temperature of, for example, pure water flowing through the temperature controlling pipe controlled. After the pure water in the temperature controlling pipe is used for temperature control, the pure water flows back to a temperature controlling portion, where its temperature is readjusted, and is supplied to the temperature controlling pipe again.
In a resist coating apparatus like this, however, it is necessary to set a temperature of the pure water flowing in the temperature controlling pipe high when there is a considerable difference between the temperature of the resist solution before being controlled and the predetermined temperature thereof in time of application of the resist solution, which requires great energy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus which efficiently supply processing solutions such as a resist solution and the like to be applied to a substrate to be processed in a predetermined temperature.
In order to achieve the above objectives, a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a holder holding the substrate, a plurality of nozzles which supply a processing solution on to the held substrate, a manifold having a plurality of pipes running inside and controls a temperature of the processing solution flowing inside the pipes and supplied to the nozzles with a temperature controlled water, and a temperature controlled water supplier which supplies the temperature controlled water to the manifold. A resist coating and developing processing system relating to another aspect of the present invention comprises a resist solution supply unit having a holder which holds the substrate and a plurality of nozzles supplying a resist solution to the held substrate, a developing processing unit performing a developing process to the substrate after the exposure, a heat processing unit performing a heat process to the substrate, a transfer mechanism transferring the substrate at least between the said units, a manifold controlling a temperature of the processing solution supplied to the nozzles with a temperature controlled water and a temperature controlled water supplier which supplies the temperature controlled water to the manifold.
In the present invention, since a temperature of a processing solution supplied to all of the nozzles through a manifold is controlled with a temperature controlled water, the manifold and a temperature controlled water supplier supplying temperature controlled water controlled to the manifold can be made compact, for example, they can be built inside the resist coating and developing processing system. In this manner, processing solutions such as a resist solution and the like that are being applied to a substrate to be processed can be efficiently supplied in a predetermined temperature since the manifold and the temperature controlling water supplier is in the same temperature condition as that of inside the system.
A substrate processing apparatus relating to yet another aspect of the present invention comprises a holder holding a substrate, a supply pipe being supplied with a processing solution from a first end and supplying the processing solution to the substrate from a second end, a first temperature controller having a first temperature controlled water circulated inside which controls a first temperature around the second end of the supply pipe and a second temperature controller having a second temperature controlled water drained from the first temperature controller circulated inside, which controls a second temperature around the first end of the supply pipe.
With such a configuration of the present invention, temperature of the processing solution can be controlled efficiently by recycling the temperature controlled water used for controlling the temperature of the processing solution just before its application onto the substrate, for controlling the temperature of the processing solution just after being supplied to a supply pipe.
These objects and still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5002008 (1991-03-01), Ushijima et al.
patent: 5849084 (1998-12-01), Hayes et al.
patent: 5960225 (1999-09-01), Fujimoto
patent: 6258167 (2001-07-01), Kawano et al.
patent: 6376013 (2002-04-01), Rangarajan et al.
Ishida Seiki
Iwano Junichi
Ookura Jun
Saito Michishige
Crispino Richard
Koch, III George R.
Rader & Fishman & Grauer, PLLC
Tokyo Electron Limited
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