SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20070224818A1
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: NISHIMURA, Eiichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,985,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/689
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/308 using masks H01L21/3063, H01L21/3065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67225 comprising at least one lithography chamber lithographic apparatuses G03F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6831 using electrostatic chucks

Abstract

A substrate processing method capable of preventing a substrate rear surface from being scratched when attracted onto an electrostatic chuck. In a coater/developer (11), a photocurable resin is coated onto a rear surface of a wafer (W), the resin is cured to form a resin protective film, and a resist is coated onto a front surface of the wafer. An exposing apparatus (12) subjects the resist to light exposure processing, irradiating ultraviolet light onto a resist portion of a pattern reversed with respect to a mask pattern. The coater/developer uses a washing liquid to remove the resist, thereby forming a resist film. In an etching apparatus (13), the front surface of the wafer is electrostatically attracted onto an electrostatic chuck (49) is subjected to RIE processing. In a washing apparatus (14), the resin protective film is dissolved and removed.

Claims

1. A substrate processing method for a substrate processing system having at least an etching apparatus that carries out plasma etching processing on a substrate, the etching apparatus having therein an electrostatic chuck that electrostatically attracts the substrate and is adapted to contact a rear surface of the substrate, the method comprising:

a coating step of coating a front surface and the rear surface of the substrate with curable resins;

a heating step of heating the coated curable resins;

an etching step of carrying out the plasma etching processing on the front surface of the substrate; and

a washing step of removing the heated curable resins.

2. A substrate processing method for a substrate processing system having at least an etching apparatus that carries out plasma etching processing on a substrate, the etching apparatus having therein an electrostatic chuck that electrostatically attracts the substrate and is adapted to contact a rear surface of the substrate, the method comprising:

a rear surface protective film formation step of forming a protective film on the rear surface of the substrate;

an etching step of carrying out the plasma etching processing on a front surface of the substrate; and

a protective film removal step of removing the protective film.

3. A substrate processing method as claimed in claim 2, including:

a resist film formation step of, after the protective film has been formed on the rear surface but before the plasma etching processing is carried out on the front surface, forming a resist film in a predetermined mask pattern on the front surface of the substrate.

4. A substrate processing method as claimed in claim 2, including:

a resist film formation step of, before the protective film is formed on the rear surface, forming a resist film in a predetermined mask pattern on the front surface of the substrate.

5. A substrate processing method as claimed in claim 2, wherein in said rear surface protective film formation step, the protective film is formed by vapor deposition processing.

6. A substrate processing method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the vapor deposition processing is CVD processing.

7. A substrate processing method as claimed in claim 2, wherein in said rear surface protective film formation step, the protective film is formed by coating processing of a curable resin.

8. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to implement a substrate processing method for a substrate processing system having at least an etching apparatus that carries out plasma etching processing on a substrate, the etching apparatus having therein an electrostatic chuck that electrostatically attracts the substrate and is configured to contact a rear surface of the substrate, the method comprising:

a coating step of coating a front surface and the rear surface of the substrate with curable resins;

a heating step of heating the coated curable resins;

an etching step of carrying out the plasma etching processing on the front surface of the substrate; and

a washing step of removing the heated curable resins.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to implement a substrate processing method for a substrate processing system having at least an etching apparatus that carries out plasma etching processing on a substrate, the etching apparatus having therein an electrostatic chuck that electrostatically attracts the substrate and is configured to contact a rear surface of the substrate, the method comprising:

a rear surface protective film formation step of forming a protective film on the rear surface of the substrate;

an etching step of carrying out the plasma etching processing on a front surface of the substrate; and

a protective film removal step of removing the protective film.