Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

• US 20010025431A1
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Published: 10/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Kitano, Takahiro, Kitano, Junichi, Matsuyama, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 6,633,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/406
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67248 Temperature monitoring

Abstract

A controller controls the temperature of a hot plate and the degree of vacuum in a tightly closed space to a temperature and a pressure at levels at which a thinner contained in a resist applied to a wafer volatilizes and an acid generator, a quencher, and a polymer chain protecting group practically remain in the resist, for example, during heat processing. More specifically, the controller controls the temperature of the hot plate and the degree of vacuum in the tightly closed space to bring the temperature of the hot plate to about 40° C., and the degree of vacuum in the tightly closed space to approximately 5 Torr. Thereby, the heat processing can be performed for the wafer so that the acid generator is uniformly dispersed in the resist, or the quencher is uniformly formed on the front face of the resist without breakage of the polymer chain protecting group.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus for performing a heat processing for a substrate coated with a resist containing at least one substance out of an acid generator, a dissolution inhibitor, and a polymer chain protecting group, and a solvent, comprising:

a processing chamber having a space capable of being tightly closed;

a plate disposed in the space for mounting thereon the substrate coated with the resist;

a pressure reducing device for reducing a pressure in the tightly closed space; and

a controller for controlling the pressure reducing device to hold a pressure at a level at which the solvent contained in the resist volatilizes and the substance practically remains in the resist.

2. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 1

, further comprising:

a heater for heating the plate,

wherein the controller controls the pressure reducing device and the heater to hold a pressure and a temperature at levels at which the solvent contained in the resist volatilizes and the substance practically remains in the resist.

3. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 1

, further comprising:

a cooling device provided in the space for performing a cooling processing for the substrate.

4. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 1

, further comprising:

a purging device for purging the tightly closed space with a first inert gas.

5. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 4

,

wherein the first inert gas is a nitrogen gas.

6. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 2

, further comprising:

a gas inflow mechanism for flowing a second inert gas for a heat conduction into the tightly closed space.

7. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 6

,

wherein the second inert gas is a helium gas.

8. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 6

, further comprising:

a member for holding/supporting the substrate while keeping it away from a top of the plate,

wherein the gas inflow mechanism flows the second inert gas into a clearance between the hot plate and the substrate.

9. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 1

, further comprising:

a temperature regulation gas inflow mechanism for flowing a temperature regulated third inert gas into the tightly closed space,

wherein the controller controls the pressure reducing device and a temperature of the third inert gas to hold a pressure and a temperature at levels at which the solvent contained in the resist volatilizes and the substance practically remains in the resist.

10. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 1

, further comprising:

an opposing member closely opposing the substrate mounted on the plate and made of a material with a low heat conductivity.

11. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 10

,

wherein a gap between the substrate mounted on the plate and the opposing member is approximately 1 mm.

12. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 10

,

wherein the opposing member is made of a high density polyethylene.

13. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 10

,

wherein the opposing member is made of a crystal.

14. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 1

,

wherein the pressure reducing device includes a pressure reducing pump and a pressure reduction regulating valve.

15. An apparatus as set forth in

claim 14

,

wherein the pressure reducing device gradually reduces the pressure in the space using the pressure reduction regulating valve.

16. A substrate processing apparatus for performing a processing for a substrate coated with a resist containing at least one substance out of an acid generator, a dissolution inhibitor, and a polymer chain protecting group, and a solvent, comprising:

a processing chamber having a space capable of being tightly closed;

a processing plate disposed in the space for processing the substrate coated with the resist at a room temperature or less;

a pressure reducing device for reducing a pressure in the tightly closed space; and

a controller for controlling a temperature of the processing plate and a degree of vacuum in the space to hold a temperature and a pressure at levels at which the solvent contained in the resist volatilizes, and the substance practically remains in the resist.

17. A method of performing a heat processing for a substrate coated with a resist containing at least one substance out of an acid generator, a dissolution inhibitor, and a polymer chain protecting group, and a solvent, comprising the steps of:

(a) performing a processing for the substrate at a reduced pressure and a temperature at levels at which the solvent contained in the resist volatilizes and the substance practically remains in the resist; and

(b) performing a cooling processing for the processed substrate.

18. A method as set forth in

claim 17

, further comprising the step of:

purging a space in which the substrate is processed with a first inert gas between the step (a) and the step (b).

19. A method as set forth in

claim 17

,

wherein a second inert gas for a heat conduction is flowed into a space in which the substrate is processed from the step (a) until the step (b).