Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – With developing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-09
2001-09-18
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
With developing
C355S028000, C355S029000, C396S611000, C118S052000, C118S058000, C118S056000, C118S666000, C118S667000, C118S668000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292250
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate process apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
At a photo resist coating step of a semiconductor fabrication, resist is coated as a resist film on the front surface of for example a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as wafer). A pattern is exposed on the resist film. The pattern is developed on the wafer with developing solution. Such a sequence of processes is performed by a coating/developing apparatus.
The coating/developing apparatus is composed of various units such as a cooling unit, a heating unit, a resist coating unit, and a developing unit. The cooling unit cools a wafer. The heating unit heats a wafer. The resist coating unit coats resist solution to a wafer. The developing unit develops a patter on a wafer. To compactly structure the coating/developing apparatus, a plurality of heating units and cooling units are piled up as a heat treatment unit group. In the heat treatment unit group, heating units are disposed above cooling units so as to prevent heat interference. In a conventional coating/developing apparatus, a heat treatment unit group and a conveying unit are disposed in the vicinity of the resist coating unit and the developing unit so as to further reduce the space of the apparatus.
However, as the size of a wafer becomes large, the size of the required process apparatus becomes large. To reduce the space of the apparatus, it is necessary to further integrally dispose each process unit. However, when heating units become large, the amount of heat generated therefrom become large. Thus, when heating units as process units of the heat treatment unit group are disposed in the vicinity of a resist coating unit, heat generated therefrom may cause the film thickness of a resist film to vary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made from the above-described point of view. An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate process apparatus that prevents the film thickness of a resist film from varying against the influence of a large heating unit and a large cooling unit.
To solve such a problem, an aspect of the present invention is a substrate process apparatus, comprising a resist coating unit for coating resist solution to a substrate, a developing unit for supplying developing solution to a substrate, a plurality of cooling units for cooling substrates, a plurality of heating units for heating substrates, and a conveying unit for holding a substrate with a hold member and conveying the substrate, wherein the plurality of cooling units are piled up as a cooling unit group, wherein the plurality of heating units are piled up as a heating unit group, wherein the cooling unit group is disposed in the vicinity of the resist coating unit, wherein the heating unit group is disposed in the vicinity of the developing unit, and wherein the conveying unit is disposed between the resist coating unit and the developing unit.
Thus, heating units and cooling units are separately disposed. The cooling units are disposed in the vicinity of a resist coating unit that is sensitive against a temperature change. The heating units are disposed in the vicinity of a developing unit that is less sensitive against a temperature change. Thus, since heat generated from the heating units does not affect the resist coating unit that is sensitive against a temperature change, the film thickness of a resist film can be suppressed from varying.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of a best mode embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5826129 (1998-10-01), Hasebe et al.
patent: 5876280 (1999-03-01), Kitano et al.
patent: 5972110 (1999-10-01), Akimoto
patent: 10135307 (1998-05-01), None
Adams Russell
Brown Khaled
Rader Fishman & Grauer
Tokyo Electron Limited
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