Silylation treatment unit and method

• US 6,709,523 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2000
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Toshima, Takayuki, Yamashita, Masami, Omori, Tsutae
• Primary Examiner(s): LUND, JEFFRIE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US09/713,247
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/724, 118/725, 118/726
• US Class Current: 118/725
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/265 Selective reaction with inorganic or organometallic reagents after image-wise exposure, e.g. silylation
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70991 Connection with other apparatus, e.g. multiple exposure stations, particular arrangement of exposure apparatus and pre-exposure and/or post-exposure apparatus; Shared apparatus, e.g. having shared radiation source, shared mask or workpiece stage, shared base-plate; Utilities, e.g. cable, pipe or wireless arrangements for data, power, fluids or vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection

Abstract

A silylation treatment unit includes a chamber, a heating mechanism provided in this chamber for heating a substrate, a supplying mechanism for supplying a vapor including a silylation reagent into the chamber. The unit also has a substrate holder for holding the substrate in the chamber, in which an interval between the heating mechanism and the substrate is adjustable to at least three levels or more. The substrate is received such that it is least influenced by a heat in the chamber by maximizing the interval from the heating mechanism. The interval is brought comparatively closer to the heating mechanism to wait until the temperature inside the chamber obtains a high planer uniformity. The interval is brought further closer to the heating mechanism after a high planer uniformity is obtained such that a silylation reaction occurs.

Claims

1. An apparatus for performing a silylation treatment on a surface of a resist film disposed on a substrate, comprising:

a process chamber,

a hot plate disposed in the process chamber and configured to heat the substrate from a side reverse to a side on which the resist film is disposed;

a supply system configured to supply a vapor containing a silylation reagent into the process chamber;

an exhaust system configured to exhaust the process chamber;

a substrate holder configured to move the substrate up and down relative to the hot plate in the process chamber; and

a driving and controlling section configured to drive and control the substrate holder, and cause the substrate holder to keep the substrate at three or more height positions relative to the hot plate, the three or more height positions including at least an upper position where the substrate is loaded/unloaded to/from the substrate holder, a middle position where the substrate is maintained at rest to be pre-heated by heat from the hot plate at a first temperature below a temperature at which silylation of the surface of the resist film effectively occurs, and a lower position where the substrate is maintained at rest to be heated by heat from the hot plate at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, said second temperature being high enough to cause effective silylation of the surface of the resist film to proceed, wherein

the supply system is configured to supply the vapor horizontally and comprises a supply ring disposed to surround the substrate, and supply holes for supplying the vapor are formed in an inner surface of the supply ring and the supply holes further comprise an upper hole and a lower hole arrayed in a vertical direction, and the upper hole has a diameter larger than that of the lower hole.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate holder comprises lifter pins penetrating through holes formed in the hot plate, and the lifter pins are configured to support the substrate on top ends thereof.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an inactive gas supply section configured to supply an inactive gas between the hot plate and the substrate through the holes formed in the hot plate through which the lifter pins penetrate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is in contact with the hot plate at the lower position.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply holes comprise holes arrayed in an angular direction over the inner surface of the supply ring.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the exhaust system comprises an exhaust port formed at a center of a ceiling of the process chamber.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply holes are formed in half of the inner surface of the supply ring in an angular direction, and the exhaust system comprises exhaust holes formed in the remaining half of the inner surface of the supply ring to face the supply holes.

8. An apparatus for performing a silylation treatment on a surface of a resist film disposed on a substrate, comprising:

a process chamber;

a hot plate disposed in the process chamber and configured to heat the substrate from a side reverse to a side on which the resist film is disposed;

a supply system configured to supply a vapor containing a silylation reagent into the process chamber;

an exhaust system configured to exhaust the process chamber;

a substrate holder configured to move the substrate up and down relative to the hot plate in the process chamber, and

a driving and controlling section configured to drive and control the substrate holder,

wherein the driving and controlling section comprises,

means for causing the substrate holder to maintain the substrate at an upper position having a first distance between the substrate and the hot plate, the substrate being loaded/unloaded to/from the substrate holder at the upper position,

means for causing the substrate holder maintain the substrate at a middle position having a second distance smaller than the first distance between the substrate and the hot plate, the substrate being heated by heat from the hot plate at a first temperature below the temperature at which silylation of the surface of the resist film can effectively proceed while stationary at the middle position, and

means for causing the substrate holder to keep the substrate at a lower position having a third distance smaller than the second distance between the substrate and the hot plate, the substrate being heated by heat from the hot plate at a second temperature at least as high as the temperature at which silylation of the surface of the resist film can effectively proceed while stationary at the lower position, wherein

the supply system is configured to supply the vapor horizontally and comprises a supply ring disposed to surround the substrate, and supply holes for supplying the vapor are formed in an inner surface of the supply ring and the supply holes further comprise an upper hole and a lower hole arrayed in a vertical direction, and the upper hole has a diameter larger than that of the lower hole.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the substrate holder comprises lifter pins penetrating through holes formed in the hot plate, and the lifter pins are configured to support the substrate on top ends thereof.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an inactive gas supply section configured to supply an inactive gas between the hot plate and the substrate through the holes formed in the hot plate through which the lifter pins penetrate.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the substrate is in contact with the hot plate at the lower position.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the supply holes comprise holes arrayed in an angular direction over the inner surface of the supply ring.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the exhaust system comprises an exhaust port formed at a center of a ceiling of the process chamber.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the supply holes are formed in half of the inner surface of the supply ring in an angular direction, and the exhaust system comprises exhaust holes formed in the remaining half of the inner surface of the supply ring to face the supply holes.