Photography – Fluid-treating apparatus – Fluid application to one side only of photographic medium
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-14
2001-02-06
Rutledge, D. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Fluid-treating apparatus
Fluid application to one side only of photographic medium
C396S626000, C396S627000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183147
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus used in the fabrication process of semiconductor devices, LCDs, or the like, and comprising a process solution supply system for supplying a process solution, such as a developing solution.
In the photolithography step included in the fabrication process of a semiconductor device, a resist solution is coated on a substrate, such as a wafer, to form a resist film. The resist film is exposed to light, with a predetermined pattern used as a mask, and is then subjected to developing treatment, thereby forming the predetermined pattern on the resist film.
These series of process are carried out by a coating-developing system.
In this coating-developing system, process solutions, such as a developing solution and thinner, are supplied to various types of process units provided for the coating-developing system, namely, an adhesion unit, a resist coating unit, a developing unit, etc. The process solutions are first forcibly supplied to an intermediate tank by an N
2
gas-based forcible supply apparatus. After being stored in the intermediate tank, the process solutions are supplied to the process units. As a means for supplying the solutions from the intermediate tank, either a pump or an N
2
gas-based forcible supply apparatus is employed.
In the case where the pump is used for supplying the process solutions from the intermediate tank to the process units, the process solutions are repeatedly compressed. It is therefore likely that the process solutions are in pulsatory motion when they reach the process units. For this reason, in many cases, the N
2
gas-based forcible supply apparatus is employed as the means for supplying solutions from the intermediate tank to the process units. In the case where the N
2
gas-based forcible supply apparatus is employed, a compressed N
2
gas is blown directly into the process solution stored in the intermediate tank, and the process solution compressed thereby is supplied from the intermediate tank to the process units.
However, when the N
2
gas-based forcible supply apparatus is employed, the compressed N
2
gas is blown directly against the process solution. As a result, the process solution contains the N
2
gas. When the process solution reaches the process units and its pressure decreases, the N
2
gas in the process solution may turn into bubbles. If the process unit is, for example, a developing unit, the bubbles of the N
2
gas may be included in the developing solution. If this happens, the process may be adversely affected, and uniform development cannot be expected.
In addition, the electronic flowmeters employed in the coating-developing system include a type which cannot make accurate measurement if such bubbles are included. This means that the process solution may not be supplied in an accurate amount.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and one object of the invention is to provide a process solution supply system capable of forcibly supplying a process solution, such as a developing solution, without producing pulsatory motion and without the feeding gas, such as the N
2
gas, being included therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process solution supply system capable of supplying a process solution, such as a developing solution, in such a manner that the process solution can be stably supplied with a constant pressure applied at all times, and in a stable and uninterrupted manner.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a process solution supply system capable of efficiently removing a feeding gas, such as an N
2
gas, from the process solution.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an intermediate storage mechanism employed in a process solution supply system, and also a substrate processing apparatus employing the process solution supply system.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process solution supply system comprising:
a process solution supply source from which a process solution is supplied;
an intermediate storage mechanism for temporarily storing the process solution supplied from the process solution supply source and for supplying the process solution with predetermined pressure applied thereto; and
a fluid supply mechanism for supplying the intermediate storage mechanism with a fluid which applies pressure to the process solution stored in the intermediate storage mechanism,
the intermediate storage mechanism including: a vessel which has an introduction port and a discharge port for the process solution, stores the process solution supplied through the introduction port and can discharge the process solution; and a compressing member, arranged inside the vessel to be located between the process solution and the fluid supplied from the fluid supply mechanism, for permitting pressure of the fluid to act on the process solution.
It is preferable that the system have two or more intermediate storage mechanisms, each of which has the structure described above, and a switching valve for selectively switching among the intermediate storage mechanisms.
The vessel described above preferably has a gas exhaust port through which bubbles contained in the process solution are discharged from the vessel. In this case, it is desirable that the introduction port be provided with a passage for allowing the introduced process solution to decrease in pressure, to thereby produce bubbles of a gas remaining in the process solution.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage mechanism for temporarily storing a process solution supplied from a process solution supply source and for supplying the process solution with predetermined pressure applied thereto, the storage mechanism including: a vessel which has an introduction port and a discharge port for the process solution, stores the process solution supplied from the fluid supply mechanism and can discharge the process solution; a compressing member, arranged inside the vessel to be located between the process solution and the fluid supplied from the fluid supply mechanism, for permitting pressure of the fluid to act on the process solution; and a gas exhaust port, provided for the vessel, for allowing bubbles contained in the process solution to be discharged from the vessel.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a process solution supply source from which a process solution is supplied; an intermediate storage mechanism for temporarily storing the process solution supplied from the process solution supply source and for supplying the process solution with predetermined pressure applied thereto; a fluid supply mechanism for supplying the intermediate storage mechanism with a fluid which serves to actuate the intermediate storage mechanism; and a treatment section for performing a predetermined treatment with respect to a given object by using the process solution supplied from the intermediate storage mechanism,
the intermediate storage mechanism including: a vessel which has an introduction port and a discharge port for the process solution, stores the process solution supplied from the fluid supply mechanism and can discharge the process solution; and a compressing member, arranged inside the vessel to be located between the process solution and the fluid supplied from the fluid supply mechanism, for permitting pressure of the fluid to act on the process solution.
According to still another object of the present invention, there is provided a process solution supplying method in which a process solution supplied from a process solution supply source is first stored in a plurality of intermediate storage mechanisms and then supplied to a predetermined section, the method comprising the steps of: supplying the process solution from a given one of the intermediate storage mechanisms; refilling a
Kimura Yoshio
Okubo Takahiro
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
Rutledge D.
Tokyo Electron Limited
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