Photoresist System and Method

• US 20200133128A1
• Filed: 12/21/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Kuo, Hung-Jui, Lu, De-Yuan, Yu, Chen-Hua, Lee, Ming-Tan
• Granted Patent: US 11,215,929 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/168 Finishing the coated layer, e.g. drying, baking, soaking
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67103 mainly by conduction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6715 Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like H01L21/67126 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6838 with gripping and holding devices using a vacuum; Bernoulli devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6875 characterised by a plurality of individual support members, e.g. support posts or protrusions

Abstract

A photoresist apparatus and a method are provided. The photoresist apparatus includes a pre-baking apparatus. The pre-baking apparatus includes: a hot-plate, a first cover over the hot-plate, a second cover over the first cover, a first heating element extending along a topmost surface of the first cover, and a second heating element extending along a topmost surface of the second cover.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a pre-baking apparatus, the pre-baking apparatus comprising;

a hot-plate;

a first cover over the hot-plate;

a second cover over the first cover;

a first heating element extending along a topmost surface of the first cover; and

a second heating element extending along a topmost surface of the second cover.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pre-baking apparatus further comprises:

an exhaust pipe connected to the second cover; and

a third heating element surrounding the exhaust pipe.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pre-baking apparatus further comprises:

an intake pipe; and

a fourth heating element surrounding the intake pipe.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first heating element comprises a resistive material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first cover comprises a plurality of first holes.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first heating element comprises a plurality of second holes.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of first holes are aligned to the plurality of second holes.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a pre-baking apparatus, the pre-baking apparatus comprising;

a hot-plate configured to raise a temperature of a wafer to a first temperature;

a first cover over the hot-plate;

a second cover over the first cover;

a first heating element extending along a topmost surface of the first cover, the first heating element being configured to raise a temperature of the first cover to a second temperature;

a second heating element extending along a topmost surface of the second cover, the second heating element being configured to raise a temperature of the second cover to a third temperature;

an exhaust pipe connected to the second cover; and

a third heating element extending along an outer surface of the exhaust pipe, the third heating element being configured to raise a temperature of the exhaust pipe to a fourth temperature.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second temperature, the third temperature, or the fourth temperature are greater than the first temperature.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the pre-baking apparatus further comprises:

an intake pipe; and

a fourth heating element extending along an outer surface of the intake pipe, the fourth heating element being configured to raise a temperature of the intake pipe to a fifth temperature.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the fifth temperature is greater than the first temperature.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first heating element has a circular plan-view shape.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second heating element has a circular plan-view shape.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second heating element comprises a plurality of resistive layers.

15. A method comprising:

transferring a substrate with a photoresist layer formed thereon into a pre-bake apparatus, the pre-baking apparatus comprising;

a hot-plate, wherein the substrate is placed on the hot-plate;

a first cover over the hot-plate;

a second cover over the first cover;

a first heating element extending along a topmost surface of the first cover;

a second heating element extending along a topmost surface of the second cover;

an exhaust pipe connected to the second cover; and

a third heating element extending along an outer surface of the exhaust pipe; and

performing a pre-baking process on the photoresist layer using the pre-baking apparatus, wherein the pre-baking process comprises;

raising, using the hot-plate, a temperature of the photoresist layer to a first temperature;

raising, using the first heating element, a temperature of the first cover to a second temperature;

raising, using the second heating element, a temperature of the second cover to a third temperature; and

raising, using the third heating element, a temperature of the exhaust pipe to a fourth temperature.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second temperature, the third temperature, or the fourth temperature are greater than the first temperature.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second heating element comprises a greater number of resistive layers than the first heating element.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the pre-baking apparatus further comprises:

an intake pipe; and

a fourth heating element extending along an outer surface of the intake pipe.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the pre-baking process further comprises:

raising, using the fourth heating element, a temperature of the intake pipe to a fifth temperature.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the fifth temperature is greater than the first temperature.