Substrate processing method and storage medium

• US 7,985,699 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Nishimura, Eiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Cheung
• Application Number:
  US11/689,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20070224818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 438/707, 438/709, 257/E21.254, 257/E21.487, 257/E21.492
• US Class Current: 438/781
• 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 first coating step of coating a rear surface of the substrate with curable resins;

a curable resin curing step of curing the coated curable resins so as to form a resin protective film;

an inverting step of inverting the substrate while holding a periphery of the substrate;

a second coating step of coating a front surface of the substrate with resistant resins;

a resistant resin curing step of curing the coated resistant resins;

a resistant resin light exposure step of subjecting the cured resistant resins to light exposure processing;

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

a washing step of removing the cured curable resins and the coated resistant resins, wherein

in said resistant resin light exposure step, the rear surface of the substrate is supported by pin-like projections such that the resin protective film is present between the rear surface of the substrate and the projections.

2. A substrate processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the curable resins are photocurable resins and are cured through irradiation with light.

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

the resistant resin curing step of curing the coated resistant resins includes heating.

4. A substrate processing method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the photocurable resins comprise cellulose derivatives.

5. A substrate processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the curable resins are thermosetting resins and are cured by heating.

6. A substrate processing method as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

the resistant resin curing step of curing the coated resistant resins includes heating.

7. A substrate processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the resistant resin curing step of curing the coated resistant resins includes heating.

8. A non-transitory 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 adapted to contact a rear surface of the substrate, the method comprising:

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

a curable resin curing step of curing the coated curable resins so as to form a resin protective film;

an inverting step of inverting the substrate while holding a periphery of the substrate;

a second coating step of coating a front surface of the substrate with resistant resins;

a resistant resin curing step of curing the coated resistant resins;

a resistant resin light exposure step of subjecting the cured resistant resins to light exposure processing;

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

a washing step of removing the cured curable resins and the coated resistant resins

wherein

in said resistant resin light exposure step, the rear surface of the substrate is supported by pin-like projections such that the resin protective film is present between the rear surface of the substrate and the projections.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 8, wherein the curable resins are photocurable resins and are cured through irradiation with light.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 8, wherein the curable resins are thermosetting resins and are cured by heating.

11. 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 resin protective film forming step of forming a resin protective film by sticking a resin sheet onto a rear surface of the substrate;

an inverting step of inverting the substrate while holding a periphery of the substrate;

a resistant resin film forming step of forming a resistant resin film onto a front surface of the substrate by using resistant 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 resistant resins and the stuck resin sheet, wherein

said resistant resin film forming step includes a resistant resin coating step of coating resistant resins onto the front surface of the substrate, a resistant resin curing step of curing the coated resistant resins and a resistant resin light exposure step of subjecting the cured resistant resins to light exposure processing, and

in said resistant resin light exposure step, the rear surface of the substrate is supported by pin-like projections such that the resin protective film is present between the rear surface of the substrate and the projections.

12. A substrate processing method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a resistant resin curing step of curing the coated resistant resins by heating.