Photography – Fluid-treating apparatus – Fluid application to one side only of photographic medium
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-17
2004-01-06
Rutledge, D (Department: 2851)
Photography
Fluid-treating apparatus
Fluid application to one side only of photographic medium
C396S611000, C134S902000, C355S030000, C118S052000, C118S319000, C427S240000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06672779
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus such as a coating and developing processing apparatus for coating a semiconductor wafer with a resist solution and developing it, and a substrate processing method applied, for example, to such an apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the process of photo-resist processing in semiconductor device fabrication, for example, a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as “a wafer”) or the like undergoes exposure of a pattern, heat processing, temperature regulation processing, and then developing processing. A coating and developing processing apparatus has been hitherto used for such a series of processing.
This coating and developing processing apparatus includes various kinds of processing units for individually performing a series of processing required for coating and developing processing of a wafer, for example, resist coating processing for applying a resist solution, heat processing for heating the wafer which has undergone exposure processing, temperature regulation processing for regulating the temperature of the wafer which has undergone the heat processing, and developing processing for performing developing processing for the wafer which has undergone the temperature regulation processing. The wafer is carried into/out of each processing unit and transferred between the processing units by a main transfer device.
The transfer of the wafer to the units by the main transfer device only, however, is a heavy burden for the main transfer device, whereby there is a possibility of causing a drop in the throughput of the entire apparatus.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 8-162514 Official Gazette discloses an art in which processing unit group is composed of predetermined processing sections out of processing sections for performing continuous processing, a substrate delivery position is provided in the processing section group, and in which a sub-transfer robot transfers a substrate between the substrate delivery position and the processing sections composing the processing section group, while a main transfer robot transfers the substrate between processing sections other than the processing sections composing the processing section group and the substrate delivery position of the processing section group. Thus, the burden imposed on the transfer device can be lightened, thereby improving throughput.
Temperature regulation processing is performed after heat processing, for example, between exposure processing and developing processing, and throughput tends to decrease since the time required for temperature regulation processing is long, but according to the art disclosed as above, the sub-transfer robot, the burden imposed on which is lightened, transfers the substrate between the processing section for performing heat processing and the processing section for performing temperature regulation processing, whereby a period of time from the completion of heat processing to the start of developing solution is shortened, which make it possible to reduce the influence of the time required for temperature regulation processing on a drop in throughput.
In the art disclosed in the aforesaid Official Gazette, however, the actual time required for temperature regulation processing is the same as before, and hence there is a limit to a reduction in the influence of the time required for temperature regulation processing on a drop in throughput.
Further in the art disclosed in the aforesaid Official Gazette, the substrate is carried into the processing section for performing heat processing and the processing section for performing temperature regulation processing via the sub-transfer robot, and hence there is a problem that ununiformity occurs in the thermal budget of the substrate before heat processing or before temperature regulation processing, whereby processing at a precise temperature can not be performed. Specially in recent years, there is a tendency to cope with a change in temperature by making a hot plate and a temperature regulating plate thinner, in which case the temperatures of the hot plate and the temperature regulating plate are disturbed when the substrate with ununiform thermal budget is carried therein, thereby making substrate processing at a precise temperature difficult.
On the other hand, in order to decease the entire coating and developing processing apparatus in size, the saving of a space for the coating and developing processing apparatus has been hitherto attained by integrally disposing a plurality of heat processing units and temperature regulation processing units in multiple tiers together with a transfer device.
All the processing units increase in size with an increase in the diameter of the wafer. Accordingly, higher integration of the placement of processing units is necessary for saving space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of practically reducing the time required for temperature regulation processing of a substrate.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of performing thermal processing and temperature regulation processing for the substrate more precisely.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of precisely performing temperature control in a processing unit for performing solution processing for the substrate.
To attain the aforesaid objects, a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention comprises: a main transfer section for transferring a substrate: temperature regulating sections, disposed around the main transfer section in at least two directions facing each other out of four directions, for receiving and sending the substrate from/to the main transfer device and regulating the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature: a thermal processing section for processing the substrate at a temperature not less than the predetermined temperature; and moving means for moving the temperature regulating section to deliver the substrate from/to the temperature regulating section to/from the thermal processing section.
The apparatus of the present invention further comprises a solution supplying section, disposed in at least one direction out of the four directions, for supplying a predetermined solution to the substrate, and the main transfer section receives and sends the substrate from/to the solution supplying section.
The apparatus of the present invention further comprises a substrate processing section (for example, an adhesion unit for making the substrate hydrophobic) other than the temperature regulating section and the solution supplying section, disposed in at least one direction out of the four directions, and the main transfer section receives and sends the substrate from/to the substrate processing section.
A substrate processing apparatus of the present invention comprises: a temperature regulating section for regulating the temperature of a substrate at a predetermined temperature; a temperature regulation and transfer mechanism for regulating the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature and transferring the substrate; and a main transfer section for receiving and sending the substrate from/to the temperature regulating section and the temperature regulation and transfer mechanism.
The apparatus of the present invention further comprises a processing section for performing thermal processing for the substrate, and the temperature regulation and transfer mechanism receives and sends the substrate from/to the processing section.
In the apparatus of the present invention, the substrate delivered from the processing section to the temperature regulation and transfer mechanism is delivered to the main transfer section and transferred to the temperature regulating section.
I
Deguchi Yoichi
Hayashi Shin'ichi
Iida Naruaki
Matsuyama Yuji
Ueda Issei
Rader & Fishman & Grauer, PLLC
Rutledge D
Tokyo Electron Limited
LandOfFree
Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3190675