SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD, STORAGE MEDIUM STORING PROGRAM FOR EXECUTING SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20110155181A1
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Inatomi, Yuichiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,728,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02052 Wet cleaning only H01L21/02085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67028 for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67051 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles

Abstract

There is provided a substrate processing method capable of preventing pattern collapse when a rinse solution is removed from a substrate on which a microscopic resist pattern is formed and also capable of reducing cost for processing the substrate by decreasing an amount of usage of a hydrophobicizing agent. The substrate processing method includes a rinse solution supply process (step S12) for supplying the rinse solution onto the substrate on which the resist pattern is formed; and a rinse solution removing process (steps S14 to S16) for removing the rinse solution from the substrate in an atmosphere including vapor of a first processing solution that hydrophobicizes the resist pattern.

Claims

1. A substrate processing method, comprising:

a rinse solution supply process for supplying a rinse solution onto a substrate on which a resist pattern is formed; and

a rinse solution removing process for removing the rinse solution from the substrate in an atmosphere including vapor of a first processing solution that hydrophobicizes the resist pattern.

2. The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein in the rinse solution removing process, the rinse solution is removed while supplying the vapor of the first processing solution onto the substrate.

3. The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein in the rinse solution removing process, the rinse solution is removed by rotating the substrate.

4. The substrate processing method of claim 3, wherein in the rinse solution removing process, the rinse solution is removed while supplying the vapor of the first processing solution onto an approximate center of the substrate.

5. The substrate processing method of claim 4, wherein in the rinse solution removing process, the rinse solution is removed while shifting a position, where the vapor of the first processing solution is supplied, from a center of the substrate toward a periphery of the substrate.

6. The substrate processing method of claim 5, wherein in the rinse solution removing process, the rinse solution is removed while shifting the position, where the vapor of the first processing solution is supplied, at a speed corresponding to a speed at which the rinse solution is scattered and moved.

7. The substrate processing method of claim 5, wherein in the rinse solution removing process, an amount of light irradiated to and reflected from a surface of the substrate is detected, and the rinse solution is removed while shifting the position, where the vapor of the first processing solution is supplied, based on the detected amount of light.

8. The substrate processing method of claim 3, further comprising:

a second processing solution supply process for supplying a second processing solution having a smaller surface tension than that of the rinse solution onto the substrate on which the rinse solution is supplied,

wherein in the rinse solution removing process, the second processing solution is removed.

9. The substrate processing method of claim 3, wherein in the rinse solution removing process, in the state that the rinse solution is being supplied onto an approximate center of the substrate, the rinse solution is scattered away while shifting a position, where the vapor of the first processing solution is supplied, from a periphery of the substrate toward a center of the substrate.

10. The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein in the rinse solution removing process, the rinse solution is removed by sucking the rinse solution from the substrate.

11. The substrate processing method of claim 10, wherein in the rinse solution removing process, while supplying the vapor of the first processing solution by a first discharge nozzle that has an elongated shape and is moved above the substrate in one direction, the rinse solution is removed by sucking the rinse solution by a first suction nozzle that has an elongated shape and is moved on the front side of the first discharge nozzle in the one direction.

12. The substrate processing method of claim 11, further comprising:

a second rinse solution supply process for supplying a second rinse solution onto the substrate, from which the rinse solution is removed, by a second discharge nozzle that has an elongated shape and is moved on the rear side of the first discharge nozzle in the one direction;

a second rinse solution removing process for sucking and removing the second rinse solution, which is supplied on the substrate from the second discharge nozzle, by a second suction nozzle that has an elongated shape and is moved on the rear side of the first discharge nozzle in the one direction; and

a drying process for drying the substrate by supplying a gas onto the substrate, from which the second rinse solution is removed, by a third discharge nozzle that has an elongated shape and is moved on the rear side of the second discharge nozzle and the second suction nozzle in the one direction.

13. The substrate processing method of claim 10, wherein in the rinse solution removing process, while supplying the vapor of the first processing solution by an elongated discharge nozzle installed to pass an approximate center of the substrate when the substrate is rotated, the rinse solution is removed by sucking the rinse solution by a plurality of elongated suction nozzles installed on the front side and on the rear side of the discharge nozzle in a direction intersecting an elongated direction of the discharge nozzle.

14. A computer readable storage medium that stores therein a program for implementing a substrate processing method as claimed in claim 1.

15. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a substrate holder that holds a substrate on which a resist pattern is formed;

a rinse solution supply unit that supplies a rinse solution onto the substrate held by the substrate holder;

a vapor supply unit that supplies vapor of a first processing solution, which hydrophobicizes the resist pattern, onto the substrate on which the rinse solution is supplied from the rinse solution supply unit; and

a rinse solution removing unit that removes the rinse solution from the substrate in an atmosphere including the vapor of the first processing solution supplied from the vapor supply unit.

16. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the rinse solution removing unit removes the rinse solution while the vapor of the first processing solution is being supplied onto the substrate by the vapor supply unit.

17. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the rinse solution removing unit is a rotating unit that scatters and removes the rinse solution by rotating the substrate holder holding the substrate.

18. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the rotating unit removes the rinse solution while the vapor of the first processing solution is supplied onto an approximate center of the substrate by the vapor supply unit.

19. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a moving unit that moves the vapor supply unit above the substrate,

wherein the rotating unit removes the rinse solution while a position, where the vapor of the first processing solution is supplied from the vapor supply unit, is being shifted from a center of the substrate toward a periphery of the substrate by the moving unit.

20. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 19, wherein the rotating unit removes the rinse solution while the position, where the vapor of the first processing solution is supplied from the vapor supply unit, is being shifted at a speed corresponding to a speed at which the rinse solution is scattered and moved.

21. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a detecting unit that detects an amount of light irradiated to and reflected from a surface of the substrate,

wherein the rotating unit removes the rinse solution while the position, where the vapor of the first processing solution is supplied, is being shifted based on the amount of light detected by the detecting unit.

22. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a second processing solution removing unit that supplies a second processing solution, which has a smaller surface tension than that of the rinse solution, onto the substrate on which the rinse solution is supplied from the rinse solution supply unit,

wherein the rotating unit removes the second processing solution.

23. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a moving unit that moves the vapor supply unit above the substrate,

wherein in the state that the rinse solution is being supplied onto an approximate center of the substrate by the rinse solution supply unit, the rotating unit removes the rinse solution while the position, where the vapor of the first processing solution is supplied from the vapor supply unit, is being shifted from a periphery of the substrate toward a center of the substrate by the moving unit.

24. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the rinse solution removing unit is a suction unit that removes the rinse solution by sucking the rinse solution from the substrate.

25. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 24, wherein the vapor supply unit is a first discharge nozzle that has an elongated shape and is configured to be movable above the substrate in one direction, and

the suction unit is a first suction nozzle of an elongated shape that is configured to be movable on the front side of the first discharge nozzle in the one direction and that removes the rinse solution by sucking the rinse solution while the vapor of the first processing solution is being supplied by the first discharge nozzle.

26. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

a second discharge nozzle of an elongated shape that is configured to be movable on the rear side of the first discharge nozzle in the one direction and supplies a second rinse solution onto the substrate from which the rinse solution is removed;

a second suction nozzle of an elongated shape that is configured to be movable on the rear side of the first discharge nozzle in the one direction and removes the second rinse solution by sucking the second rinse solution supplied on the substrate from the second discharge nozzle; and

a third discharge nozzle of an elongated shape that is configured to be movable on the rear side of the second discharge nozzle and the second suction nozzle in the one direction and dries the substrate by supplying a gas onto the substrate from which the second rinse solution is removed.

27. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

a rotating unit that rotates the substrate holder holding the substrate,

wherein the vapor supply unit is a discharge nozzle of an elongated shape configured to pass the approximate center of the substrate, and

the suction unit is a plurality of elongated suction nozzles that is installed on the front side and on the rear side of the discharge nozzle in a direction intersecting an elongated direction of the discharge nozzle and removes the rinse solution by sucking the rinse solution supplied on the substrate while the vapor of the first processing solution is being supplied by the discharge nozzle when the substrate holder holding the substrate is rotated by the rotating unit.