Substrate processing apparatus and method

• US 7,867,926 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Satoh, Naoyuki, Ide, Hiroyuki, Tamura, Takeshi, Hama, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Stark; Jarrett J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parker; John M
• Application Number:
  US12/155,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20090156019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 438/481, 438/798, 257/E21.471, 117/204
• US Class Current: 438/798
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3105 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67115 mainly by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67225 comprising at least one lithography chamber lithographic apparatuses G03F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68742 characterised by a lifting arrangement, e.g. lift pins
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 117/1016 with means for treating single-crystal [e.g., heat treating]

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus is used for radiating UV rays onto a target film formed on a target surface of a substrate to perform a curing process of the target film. The apparatus includes a hot plate configured to heat the substrate to a predetermined temperature, a plurality of support pins disposed on the hot plate to support the substrate, and a UV radiating device configured to radiate UV rays onto the target surface of the substrate supported on the support pins. The support pins are preset to provide a predetermined thermal conductivity to conduct heat of the substrate to the hot plate. The hot plate is preset to have a predetermined thermal capacity sufficient to absorb heat conducted through the support pins.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus for radiating UV rays (ultraviolet rays) onto a target film formed on a target surface of a substrate to perform a curing process of the target film, the substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a hot plate configured to heat the substrate to a predetermined temperature;

a plurality of support pins disposed on the hot plate to support the substrate; and

a UV radiating device configured to radiate UV rays onto the target surface of the substrate supported on the support pins, wherein

the support pins are preset to provide a predetermined thermal conductivity to conduct heat of the substrate to the hot plate,

the hot plate is preset to have a predetermined thermal capacity sufficient to absorb heat conducted through the support pins, and

the support pins are arranged such that an area of the hot plate with a higher illumination intensity of UV rays from the UV radiating device is provided with a lager number of support pins.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a heat transfer amount from the substrate to the hot plate is preset by adjusting the material, height, and/or number of the support pins.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hot plate is arranged to have a volume selected to preset the predetermined thermal capacity.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hot plate is made of a material selected to preset the predetermined thermal capacity.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a cooling device configured to cool the hot plate to increase the thermal capacity of the hot plate.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the cooling device is disposed to face, with a gap therebetween, a surface of the hot plate opposite to a surface provided with the support pins.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the cooling device comprises a base plate structurally connected to the hot plate through struts and provided with a cooler built therein.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the support pins comprise a plurality of sets of support pins concentrically disposed in decreasing order of density from a central side of the substrate.

9. A substrate processing apparatus for radiating UV rays (ultraviolet rays) onto a target film formed on a target surface of a substrate to perform a curing process of the target film, the substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a hot plate that heats the substrate to a predetermined temperature;

a plurality of support pins disposed on the hot plate to support the substrate;

a UV radiating device that radiates UV rays onto the target surface of the substrate supported on the support pins; and

a cooling device that cools the hot plate to increase the thermal capacity of the hot plate, the cooling device comprising a base plate structurally connected to the hot plate through struts and provided with a cooler built therein, wherein

the support pins are preset to provide a predetermined thermal conductivity to conduct heat of the substrate to the hot plate,

the hot plate is preset to have a predetermined thermal capacity sufficient to absorb heat conducted through the support pins, and

the cooling device is disposed to face, with a gap therebetween, a surface of the hot plate opposite to a surface provided with the support pins.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus further comprises a control section preset to concurrently set the UV radiating device, the cooler, and the heater in an on-state in the curing process.

11. A substrate processing method for radiating UV rays (ultraviolet rays) onto a target film formed on a target surface of a substrate to perform a curing process of the target film, the substrate processing method comprising:

placing the substrate on a plurality of support pins disposed on a hot plate;

then, heating the substrate to a predetermined temperature by the hot plate; and

then, radiating UV rays onto the target surface of the substrate supported on the support pins, thereby performing the curing process, wherein

the support pins are arranged such that an area of the hot plate with a higher illumination intensity of UV rays from the UV radiating device is provided with a larger number of support pins,

the support pins are preset to provide a predetermined thermal conductivity, and the hot plate is preset to have a predetermined thermal capacity, and

the curing process comprises conducting heat, applied to the substrate by the UV rays, through the support pins to the hot plate, and absorbing the heat conducted through the support pins into the hot plate, thereby preventing the substrate from being overheated.

12. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, wherein the method further comprises presetting a heat transfer amount from the substrate to the hot plate by adjusting the material, height, and/or number of the support pins.

13. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, wherein the method further comprises presetting the predetermined thermal capacity by adjusting the volume of the hot plate.

14. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, wherein the method further comprises presetting the predetermined thermal capacity by adjusting the material of the hot plate.

15. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, wherein the method further comprises cooling the hot plate by a cooling device to increase the thermal capacity of the hot plate.

16. The substrate processing method according to claim 15, wherein the cooling device is disposed to face, with a gap therebetween, a surface of the hot plate opposite to a surface provided with the support pins.

17. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the cooling device comprises a base plate structurally connected to the hot plate through struts and provided with a cooler built therein.

18. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, wherein the support pins comprise a plurality of sets of support pins concentrically disposed in decreasing order of density from a central side of the substrate.

19. A substrate processing method for radiating UV rays (ultraviolet rays) onto a target film formed on a target surface of a substrate to perform a curing process of the target film, the substrate processing method comprising:

placing the substrate on a plurality of support pins disposed on a hot plate;

then, heating the substrate to a predetermined temperature by the hot plate;

then, radiating UV rays onto the target surface of the substrate supported on the support pins, thereby performing the curing process; and

cooling the hot plate by a cooling device to increase the thermal capacity of the hot plate, wherein

the curing process comprises conducting heat, applied to the substrate by the UV rays, through the support pins to the hot plate, and absorbing the heat conducted through the support pins into the hot plate, thereby preventing the substrate from being overheated,

the support pins are preset to provide a predetermined thermal conductivity, and the hot plate is preset to have a predetermined thermal capacity,

the cooling device is disposed to face, with a gap therebetween, a surface of the hot plate opposite to a surface provided with the support pins, and

the cooling device comprises a base plate structurally connected to the hot plate through struts and is provided with a cooler built therein.

20. The substrate processing method according to claim 19, wherein the method further comprises concurrently setting the UV radiating device, the cooler, and the heater in an on-state in the curing process.