Substrate processing method

• US 20030059534A1
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Mizuno, Tsuyoshi, Nishijima, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,878,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/240
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6715 Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like H01L21/67126 takes precedence

Abstract

A specific amount of a processing solution is supplied on a wafer by spraying the processing solution from a first end (tip) of a nozzle. The solution surface of the processing solution remaining in the nozzle is sucked back to a second end side of the nozzle by aspirating the remaining processing solution to the second end side. The first end of the nozzle is then soaked into a fluid. The processing solution remaining in the nozzle is aspirated to the second end side to aspirate a specific amount of the fluid into the first end of the nozzle for further sucking back the solution surface of the processing solution to the second end side, thus the solution surface of the processing solution being not touching the fluid.

Claims

1. A method of processing a wafer comprising:

a supplying step of supplying a specific amount of a processing solution on a wafer by spraying the processing solution from a first end of a nozzle;

a sucking-backstep, after the supplying step, of sucking back a solution surface of the processing solution remaining in the nozzle to a second end side of the nozzle by aspirating the remaining processing solution to the second end side;

a soaking step, after the sucking-back step, of soaking the first end of the nozzle into a fluid; and

an aspirating step, after the soaking step, of aspirating the processing solution remaining in the nozzle to the second end side to aspirate a specific amount of the fluid into the first end of the nozzle for further sucking back the solution surface of the processing solution to the second end side, thus the solution surface of the processing solution being not touching the fluid.

2. The method of processing a wafer according to claim 1, wherein the sucking-back step includes a step of sucking back the solution surface of the processing solution in the nozzle to aspirate gas evaporated from the fluid and the aspirating step includes a step of aspirating the specific amount of the fluid into the first end of the nozzle, thus the solution surface of the processing solution being not touching the fluid due to the evaporated gas intervening between the solution surface of the processing solution and the fluid.

3. The method of processing a wafer according to claim 1 further comprising a step, after the sucking-back step but before the soaking step, of aspirating an insoluble liquid, that is insoluble in the coating solution and the fluid, into the nozzle, the aspirating step including a step of aspirating the specific amount of the fluid into the first end of the nozzle, thus the solution surface of the processing solution being not touching the fluid due to the insoluble liquid intervening between the solution surface of the processing solution and the fluid.

4. The method of processing a wafer according to claim 1 further comprising a step of discharging the fluid from the first end of the nozzle before spraying the processing solution onto a next wafer to be processed.

5. The method of processing a wafer according to claim 3 further comprising a step of discharging the fluid and the insoluble liquid from the first end of the nozzle before spraying the processing solution onto a next wafer to be processed.

6. The method of processing a wafer according to claim 1 further comprising a step of moving the fluid aspirated into the nozzle forward and backward in the first end of the nozzle.

7. The method of processing a wafer according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is a solvent for the processing solution.

8. The method of processing a wafer according to claim 1 further comprising a step of washing an outer wall of the nozzle.

9. The method of processing a wafer according to claim 8, wherein the washing step includes a step of supplying a solvent for the processing solution to the outer wall of the nozzle to wash the outer wall.

10. The method of processing a wafer according to claim 8, wherein the washing step includes a step of spraying nitrogen gas to the outer wall of the nozzle to wash the outer wall.

11. The method of processing a wafer according to claim 1 further comprising a step of measuring a period or a specific number of times for soaking the first end of the nozzle into the fluid, or a dielectric constant of the fluid, for replacements of the liquid.