WO2006085489A1 - Heat treatment apparatus and heat treatment method - Google Patents

Abstract

A heat treatment apparatus for performing heat treatment to a semiconductor wafer (W) at a prescribed temperature is provided with a flexible heating plate (60), which is arranged in a treatment container main body (52) for storing the semiconductor wafer (W) and performs the heat treatment by bringing the semiconductor wafer (W) close to the surface of the heating plate or by placing the wafer on the surface of the heating plate; and a means (70) for bringing an arbitrary portion of the heating plate (60) into contact with or separating it from the semiconductor wafer (W). Thus, temperature control in accordance with warping of the semiconductor wafer (W) and an actual device is made possible, a uniform line width can be provided, and product yield can be improved.

Description

 Specification

 Heat treatment apparatus and heat treatment method

 Technical field

 [0001] The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus and a heat treatment method for heat-treating a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or an LCD glass substrate.

 Background art

 [0002] In general, for the manufacture of semiconductor devices! In order to form ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) thin films and electrode patterns on semiconductor wafers and LCD glass substrates (hereinafter referred to as wafers), Photolithographic technology is used. In this photolithography technology, a photoresist is applied to a wafer or the like, the resist film formed thereby is exposed in accordance with a predetermined circuit pattern, and this exposure pattern is developed to develop a circuit pattern on the resist film. Is formed.

 [0003] In such a photolithographic process, heat treatment after resist coating (pre-beta), heat treatment after exposure (post-exposure beta; PEB), heat treatment after development processing (post-beta), etc. Various heat treatments are applied.

 [0004] As a conventional heat treatment method (apparatus) of this type, for example, in JP-A-11 233407, a heating means in which thin film heaters are arranged on both upper and lower surfaces of a heat plate is moved toward and away from the wafer. What performs temperature control is known.

 [0005] While the force is applied to a wafer or the like to be actually heat-treated, the shape thereof is warped. Therefore, when heat treatment is performed using a conventional heat treatment apparatus of this type, A non-uniform part occurs in the distance between the heat plate and the wafer during the heat treatment, and this non-uniformity causes a change in heat transfer characteristics, which is a cause of variations in the heat history and process results in the wafer surface. As a result, for example, the line width becomes non-uniform and the product yield decreases.

[0006] As a means for solving this problem, it is conceivable to perform a heat treatment of a wafer or the like by controlling the temperature by performing multi-channel heater control provided with a plurality of heater sections. However, in this heater multi-channel control, not only the structure becomes complicated, but also the heater section. There is a possibility that sufficient temperature control may not be possible due to the limit of the number.

 [0007] This problem is an important issue particularly in the heat treatment of a wafer or the like that tends to increase in size.

 Disclosure of the invention

 [0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a heat treatment device that enables temperature control according to warpage of a wafer or the like and an actual device with a single heater, uniform line width, and the like, and improve product yield. And providing a heat treatment method.

 [0009] (1) A heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is a heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a substrate to be treated, and has a top opening and a treatment container that accommodates the substrate to be treated, and heats the substrate to be treated. In order to achieve this, the substrate to be processed in the processing container is disposed close to the substrate to be processed, or the substrate to be processed is mounted thereon, and a flexible heating plate and the heating plate are processed. And a contact / separation moving means for bringing the heating plate close to or in contact with the substrate and separating the heating plate from the substrate to be processed. As a result, an appropriate portion of the flexible heating plate for bringing the substrate to be processed in proximity to or on the substrate can be moved toward and away from the object to be processed, and it is possible to cope with deformation such as warpage of the substrate to be processed. Temperature control.

 [0010] (2) In the above (1), the heating information of the substrate to be processed is further acquired and stored in a readable manner, and the operation of the contact / separation moving unit is controlled based on the heating information. Control means.

 [0011] (3) In the above (1), further, means for acquiring heating information of the substrate to be processed and storing it in a readable manner, and a temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the substrate to be processed in the processing container And control means for controlling the operation of the contact / separation moving means based on the heating information and a temperature detection result from the temperature detector. As a result, an appropriate portion of the flexible heating plate for approaching or placing the substrate to be processed can be moved toward and away from the object to be processed according to the heating information of the substrate to be processed. Temperature control can be performed in response to deformations such as warping and, for example, actual devices.

[0012] (4) In the above (1), the lid that closes the upper opening of the processing container and the one or more sets of magnets that are included in the contact / separation moving means and face each other with the substrate to be processed interposed therebetween And having One magnet of the set of magnets is attached to the processing container, and the other magnet of the set of magnets is attached to the lid.

 (5) In the above (4), one of the opposing magnets is an electromagnet.

 (6) In the above (4), any one of the opposing magnets is attached, and the one magnet is forcibly brought close to or separated from the other magnet. Have When the substrate to be processed is heat-treated, the opening of the processing container body is closed with a lid so that the magnetic forces of the magnets facing each other act, so that an appropriate portion of the heating plate is placed on the workpiece. The temperature control can be performed in response to deformation such as warpage of the substrate to be processed and, for example, an actual device.

 (7) In the above (1), the contact / separation moving means has a plurality of moving mechanisms arranged to correspond to appropriate portions of the substrate to be processed in the processing container, and the moving mechanism In each of the above, the heating plate is forcibly brought close to or in contact with an appropriate portion of the substrate to be processed, and the heating plate is pulled at an appropriate portion of the substrate to be processed.

 The contact / separation moving means is formed by a moving mechanism that forcibly approaches or separates the heating plate from the substrate to be processed. Since the heating plate can be forcibly approached or separated from the substrate to be processed by the moving mechanism, even if the heating plate is made of a conventional ceramic material, the heating plate can be appropriately selected. The part can be moved toward and away from the workpiece. As a result, it is possible to perform temperature control corresponding to deformation such as warpage of the substrate to be processed and, for example, an actual device.

 (8) In the above (1), the heating plate is formed by laminating a flexible film and a heater wiring. As a result, the thickness of the heating plate can be reduced, and many contact / separation movement positions with respect to the substrate to be processed can be set.

 (9) In the above (1), the heating plate includes a pair of flexible films and a heater wiring provided between the pair of films. As a result, the thickness of the heating plate can be reduced, many contact / separation positions with respect to the substrate to be processed can be set, and the heater wiring can be protected by the film.

(10) In the above (1), a plurality of slits are formed in the heating plate. Such a slit can facilitate the deformation of the heating plate. [0020] (11) In the above (1), a plurality of substrates provided on the heating plate and supporting the substrate to be processed so that a slight gap is formed between the heating plate and the substrate to be processed. It has a gap spacer.

 [0021] (12) In the above (6), it is further attached to an upper part of a magnet movably supported by the moving mechanism so that a slight gap is formed between the heating plate and the substrate to be processed. A plurality of gap spacers for supporting the substrate to be processed are provided.

 (13) A method for heat-treating a substrate to be processed at a predetermined temperature, wherein (a) the substrate to be processed is accommodated in a processing container so as to face a heating plate having flexibility, and the heating is performed. (B) The heating plate is displaced by the contact / separation moving means, and the heating plate is brought close to or in contact with the object to be processed, and the heating is performed. The substrate to be processed is heated by the plate, and (c) the heating plate is forcibly separated from the substrate to be processed by the contact / separation moving means.

 (14) In the above (13), further, before the step (a), heating information of the substrate to be processed is acquired and stored so as to be readable, and in the step (b), the heating is performed. The operation of the contact / separation moving means is controlled based on the information.

 (15) In the above (13), further, before the step (a), the heating information of the substrate to be processed is acquired and stored so as to be readable. In the step (a), the processing target is processed. The temperature distribution of the substrate is detected, and in the step (b), the operation of the contact / separation moving means is controlled based on the temperature detection result and the heating information.

 [0025] According to the substrate processing method and the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the following effects (a) to (g) can be obtained.

 [0026] (a) According to the invention of (1) above, an appropriate portion of the flexible heating plate for approaching or placing the substrate to be processed can be moved toward and away from the object to be processed. In addition, since temperature control can be performed in response to deformation such as warpage of the substrate to be processed, the line width can be uniformed and the product yield can be improved.

[0027] (b) According to the invention of (2) above, an appropriate portion of the heating plate having flexibility for placing the substrate to be processed close to or placed thereon is determined according to the heating information of the substrate to be processed. It is possible to move toward and away from the substrate, and warp or other deformation of the substrate to be processed Therefore, in addition to the effect (a), it is possible to perform temperature control with higher accuracy.

 [0028] (c) According to the inventions of (3), (4) and (5) above, when the substrate to be processed is heat-treated, the opening of the processing container body is closed by the lid, thereby The magnetic force between the opposing magnets acts, so that the appropriate part of the heating plate can move toward and away from the object to be processed, and temperature control can be performed according to deformation of the substrate to be processed, etc. Therefore, in addition to the effects (a) and (b), the temperature atmosphere during the heat treatment can be made constant, and the processing efficiency can be improved.

(D) According to the invention of (6) above, even in a conventional ceramic heating plate, an appropriate portion of the heating plate can be moved toward and away from the object to be processed. In addition to the effects (a) and (b) above, some of the conventional devices can be modified to improve the scope of the device. It is possible to spread.

 [0030] (e) According to the invention of the above (7), since the heat capacity of the heating plate can be further reduced by reducing the thickness of the heating plate, the effects (a) to (c) described above can be achieved. In addition, the temperature can be raised and lowered at high speed, and the heat treatment can be quickly performed. In addition, since a large number of contact / separation movement locations with respect to the substrate to be processed can be set, highly accurate temperature control can be performed.

 [0031] (f) According to the invention of (8) above, the thickness of the heating plate can be reduced, the number of contact / separation movement positions with respect to the substrate to be processed can be set, and the heater wiring can be filled. Therefore, in addition to the effect (e), it is possible to further increase the life of the heating plate and thus the life of the apparatus.

 [0032] (g) According to the invention of (9), since the heating plate can be easily deformed by the slits, in addition to the effects (a) to (f) described above, further mechanical or High-precision temperature control can be performed by electrical energy.

 Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a resist solution coating / development processing system provided with a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Fig. 2] Schematic front view of resist coating / development processing system.

 [Fig. 3] Schematic rear view of resist solution coating and development processing system.

 FIG. 4 is a block cross-sectional view showing the heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

 FIG. 5A is a plan view showing a heating plate in the present invention.

 FIG. 5B is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the heating plate cut along the line I I in FIG. 5A.

 FIG. 6A is an internal perspective cross-sectional view showing the heat treatment apparatus before the heating plate and the substrate to be processed are moved toward and away from each other.

 FIG. 6B is an internal perspective cross-sectional view showing the heat treatment apparatus during the proximity operation of the heating plate and the substrate to be processed.

 FIG. 6C is an internal perspective sectional view showing the heat treatment apparatus during the operation of separating the heating plate and the substrate to be processed.

 FIG. 7A is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between wafer temperature (° C) and time (sec) to explain correction of heating temperature.

 FIG. 7B is a timing chart showing the operation of the contact / separation moving means.

 FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a heating plate of the apparatus of the second embodiment.

 FIG. 9A is an internal perspective sectional view showing the apparatus of the third embodiment during the proximity operation of the heating plate and the substrate to be processed.

 FIG. 9B is an internal perspective sectional view showing the apparatus of the third embodiment during the operation of separating the heating plate and the substrate to be processed.

 FIG. 10 is a block cross-sectional view showing the main parts of the device of the fourth embodiment.

 BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, a case where the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention is applied to a resist coating / development processing system for a semiconductor wafer will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of a resist solution application / development processing system, FIG. 2 is a front view of the system shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a rear view of the system shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the resist solution coating / development processing system includes a cassette station 10 (conveyance unit), a processing station 20 and an interface unit 30. Wafer power The set 1 is also loaded into the system via the cassette station 10 and the system force is also loaded outside via the cassette station 10. A plurality of semiconductor wafers W (for example, 25) are stored in the wafer cassette 1 in units of lots. The processing station 20 includes a plurality of processing apparatuses in which various processing units are stacked in multiple stages. The processing unit has a function of processing wafers W one by one in the coating and developing process. The interface unit 30 is disposed between the processing station 20 and an exposure apparatus (not shown).

 [0037] The cassette station 10 has a plurality of, for example, up to four wafer cassettes 1 at the position of the protrusion 3 on the cassette mounting table 2 and arranged in a row along the horizontal X direction with each wafer inlet / outlet facing the processing station 20 side. Wafer transfer tweezers 4 that can be moved in the wafer arrangement direction (Z direction) of the wafer W placed in the cassette arrangement direction (X direction) and accommodated in the wafer cassette 1 along the vertical direction in each wafer cassette 1 1 is configured to selectively convey. Further, the wafer transfer tweezers 4 can be rotated Θ around the Z axis, and the alignment unit (ALIM) and the extension unit (EXT) belonging to the third stage G3 multistage unit section on the processing station 20 side described later. ) Can also be transported!

 A vertical transfer type main wafer transfer mechanism 21 is provided at the center of the processing station 20. All the processing units are arranged in multiple stages over one or more sets around the chamber 22 in which the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 is accommodated. In this example, the multi-stage arrangement of 5 groups G1, G2, G3, G4 and G5 is used, and the multistage units of the first and second threads G1 and G2 are arranged in parallel on the front side of the system, and the third group G3 The multi-stage unit is arranged adjacent to the cassette station 10, the fourth stage and the multi-stage unit of G4 are arranged adjacent to the interface part 30, and the multi-stage unit of the fifth group G5 is arranged on the back side. Yes.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the first group G1, a developing unit (DEV) and a resist coating unit (COT) are stacked in two upper and lower stages. In the second group G2, two resist coating units (COT) and development units (DEV) are stacked in two upper and lower stages. The reason why the resist coating unit (COT) is arranged on the lower side in this way is that it is more difficult to discharge the resist coating unit (COT) force drain than the developer unit (DEV) drain. It is. If necessary, replace the resist coating unit (COT) with the development unit (DEV). Try to place it in the upper row.

 [0040] As shown in FIG. 3, the third group G3 includes a cooling unit (COL), an adhesion unit (AD), an alignment unit (ALIM), an extension unit (EXT), and four hot plates. Units (HP) are stacked in multiple upper and lower stages (8 stages). The hot plate (HHP) includes the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention having a heating function. The fourth group, G4 〖, consists of a cooling unit (COL), extension 'cooling unit (EXTCOL), status tension unit (EXT), cooling unit (COL), two chilling hot plate units (CHP) and two Hot plate units (HP) are stacked in multiple upper and lower stages (8 stages). The chilling hot plate unit (CHP) is equipped with the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention having a rapid cooling function.

 [0041] A cooling unit (COL) with a low processing temperature and an extension 'cooling unit (EXTCOL) are arranged in the lower stage, and a hot plate unit (HP), a chilling hot plate unit (CHP) and an adhesion with high processing temperatures. By arranging the unit (AD) in the upper stage, it is possible to reduce the thermal mutual interference between the units. Of course, it is possible to use a random multistage arrangement.

 As shown in FIG. 1, in the processing station 20, the third and fourth groups G3, G4 adjacent to the first and second yarns and the multistage unit (spinner type processing unit) of Gl, G2 are used. Ducts 25 and 26 are provided vertically in the side walls of the multi-stage unit (oven-type processing unit). These ducts 25, 26 are designed to allow downflow clean air or specially temperature-controlled air to flow. With this duct structure, the heat generated in the oven-type processing units of the third and fourth groups G3 and G4 is cut off and does not reach the spinner-type processing units of the first and second groups Gl and G2. It's like! /

[0043] In addition, in this processing system, a multistage unit of the fifth group G5 can be arranged on the back side of the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 as shown by a dotted line in FIG. The multi-stage unit of the fifth group G5 can move sideways along the guide rail 27 as viewed from the main wafer transfer mechanism 21. Therefore, even when the multi-stage unit of the fifth group G5 is provided, the space is secured by sliding the unit, so that the maintenance work can be easily performed from the back with respect to the main wafer transfer mechanism 21. . [0044] The interface section 30 is made small in the force X direction having the same dimensions as the processing station 20 in the Y direction. A portable pickup cassette 31 and a stationary buffer cassette 32 are arranged in two stages on the front side of the interface unit 30. A peripheral exposure device 33 is disposed on the back surface of the interface unit 30. The peripheral exposure device 33 performs exposure processing on the peripheral portion of the wafer W or the identification mark area. In addition, a wafer transfer arm 34 is disposed at the center of the interface unit 30. The wafer transfer arm 34 moves in the X and Z directions to transfer the wafer W to both cassettes 31, 32 and the peripheral exposure apparatus 33. Further, the transfer arm 34 can rotate around the Z axis by Θ, and the extension unit (EXT) belonging to the multi-unit of the fourth group G4 on the processing station 20 side and the wafer transfer table on the adjacent exposure apparatus side. The wafer W is also transferred (not shown).

 [0045] Such a processing system is installed in the clean room 40, and the cleanliness of each part is enhanced by an efficient vertical laminar flow system of clean air in the system.

 Next, the case where the wafer W is processed using the resist solution coating / developing system will be described.

 First, at cassette station 10, wafer transfer tweezers 4 accesses cassette 1 containing unprocessed wafers W on cassette mounting table 2, and takes out one wafer W from cassette 1. . When the wafer W tweezers 4 takes out the wafer W from the cassette 1, it moves to the alignment unit (ALIM) arranged in the multi-stage unit of the third yarn G3 on the processing station 20 side. Place wafer W on wafer mounting table 24 in (ALIM). Wafer W undergoes orientation flat alignment and centering on wafer mounting table 24. Thereafter, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 also accesses the alignment unit (ALIM) with the opposite side force, and receives the wafer W from the wafer mounting table 24.

In the processing station 20, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 first carries the wafer W into an adhesion unit (AD) belonging to the multistage unit of the third group G3. The wafer W is hydrophobized in this adhesion unit (AD). When the hydrophobization process is completed, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 unloads the wafer W also with the adhesion unit (AD) force, and then performs cooling that belongs to the multi-stage unit of the third group G3 or the fourth group G4. Carry into the unit (COL) The In this cooling unit (COL), the wafer W is cooled to a set temperature, for example, 23 ° C before the resist coating process. When the cooling process is completed, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 unloads the wafer W from the cooling unit (COL), and then transfers it to the resist coating unit (COT) belonging to the multistage unit of the first group G1 or the second group G2. Carry in. In this resist coating unit (COT), the wafer W is coated with a uniform film thickness on the wafer surface by spin coating.

 [0049] When the resist coating process is completed, the main wafer transport mechanism 21 unloads the wafer W from the resist coating unit (COT), and then loads it into the hot plate unit (HP). In the hot plate unit (HP), the wafer W is mounted on a mounting table and prebeta-treated at a predetermined temperature, for example, 100 ° C. for a predetermined time. As a result, the residual solvent can be removed by evaporation from the coating film on the wafer W. When the pre-beta is finished, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 unloads the wafer W to the hot plate unit (HP), and then transfers it to the extension cooling unit (EXTCOL) belonging to the multistage unit of the fourth group G4. . In this unit (EXT COL), the wafer W is cooled to a temperature suitable for the peripheral exposure process in the next process, that is, the peripheral exposure apparatus 33, for example, 24 ° C. After this cooling, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 transfers the wafer W to the extension unit (EXT) immediately above, and places the wafer W on a mounting table (not shown) in the unit (EXT). To do. When the wafer W is mounted on the mounting table of the extension unit (EXT), the transfer arm 34 of the interface unit 30 accesses from the opposite side and receives the wafer W. Then, the transfer arm 34 carries the wafer W into the peripheral exposure apparatus 33 in the interface unit 30. In the peripheral exposure device 33, the peripheral resist is exposed to light by irradiating the surplus resist film (portion) in the peripheral portion of the wafer W surface.

 [0050] After the peripheral exposure is completed, the transfer arm 34 carries the wafer W out of the casing of the peripheral exposure apparatus 33 and transfers it to a wafer receiving table (not shown) on the adjacent exposure apparatus side. In this case, the wafer W may be temporarily stored in the buffer cassette 32 before being transferred to the exposure apparatus.

[0051] When the entire exposure is completed in the exposure apparatus and the wafer W is returned to the wafer receiving table on the exposure apparatus side, the transfer arm 34 of the interface unit 30 accesses the wafer receiving table and receives the wafer W. The received wafer W is processed by the fourth group G4 on the processing station 20 side. Carry it into the extension unit (EXT) belonging to the step unit and place it on the wafer receiving table. Also in this case, the wafer W may be temporarily stored in the buffer cassette 32 in the interface unit 30 before being transferred to the processing station 20 side.

[0052] The wafer W placed on the wafer receiving table is transferred to the chilling hot plate unit (CHP) by the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 to prevent the generation of fringes, or chemically amplified resist (CAR). In order to induce an acid-catalyzed reaction, a post-exposure beta (PEB) treatment is performed by the heat treatment device 50 at 120 ° C. for a predetermined time, for example.

 Thereafter, the wafer W is loaded into a development unit (DEV) belonging to the multistage unit of the first group G1 or the second group G2. In the developing unit (DEV), the developing solution is evenly supplied to the resist on the surface of the wafer W for development processing. By this development processing, the resist film formed on the wafer W surface is developed into a predetermined circuit pattern, and the surplus resist film on the periphery of the wafer W is removed, and further, the alignment film formed on the wafer W surface is removed. The resist film adhering to the area of the mark M is removed. Next, a rinse solution is applied to the surface of the wafer W, and the developer is washed and dropped.

 [0054] When the development process is completed, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 unloads the wafer W from the development unit (DEV), and then, the hot plate belonging to the multistage unit of the third group G3 or the fourth group G4. Carry into the unit (HP). In this unit (HP), the wafer W is post-beta processed at a temperature of 100 ° C. for a predetermined time, for example. As a result, the resist swollen by development is cured, and the chemical resistance is improved.

[0055] When the post beta is completed, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 carries out the wafer W by hot plate (HHP) force, and then carries it into one of the cooling units (COL). Here, after the wafer W and W return to room temperature, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 next transfers the wafer W to the extension unit (EXT) belonging to the third group G3. When the wafer W is placed on a mounting table (not shown) of the extension unit (EXT), the wafer transfer tweezers 4 on the cassette station 10 side also accesses the opposite side force and receives the wafer W. Then, the wafer transfer tweezers 4 put the received wafer W into a predetermined wafer storage groove of the processed wafer storage cassette 1 on the cassette mounting table, and the processing is completed. Next, the heat treatment apparatus 50 according to the present invention constituting the hot plate unit (HP) and the chilling hot plate unit (CHP) will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

 [0057] (First embodiment)

 A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 5A, and 5B.

 The heat treatment apparatus 50 includes a processing container main body 52 and a lid 53. The processing container main body 52 is open at the top. The lid 53 is supported by a cylinder 59 so as to be movable up and down so that the upper opening of the processing container main body 52 can be opened and closed. When the processing container main body 52 is covered with the lid 53 and the upper opening is closed, the processing chamber main body 52 and the lid 53 form a processing chamber. The wafer W is put in and out of the processing chamber by the main wafer transfer mechanism 21.

 In the processing container main body 52, a heating plate 60 and a plurality of moving mechanisms 75 are provided. The heating plate 60 has flexibility and is supported substantially horizontally by the plurality of support members 55 and the plurality of moving mechanisms 75. Each moving mechanism 75 is provided on a common base plate 54 and has a movable magnet 71 at its upper end. A plurality of fixed magnets 72 supported by a support plate 74 are provided in the lid 53. In the state where the processing container main body 52 is covered with the lid 53, the wafer W is in contact with or close to the heating plate 60, and the wafer W is close to the support plate 74.

 The fixed magnet 72 and the movable magnet 71 constitute the contact / separation moving means 70. The fixed magnet 72 and the movable magnet 71 have a one-to-one correspondence, and the fixed magnet 72 overlaps with the movable magnet 71 in the XY plane field of view. These movable magnets 71 and fixed magnets 72 are preferably arranged in a lattice or concentric pattern within the XY plane field of view.

 [0061] The heating plate 60 has a disk shape as shown in FIG. 5A, and is a laminated laminate in which the heater wiring 62 is sandwiched between a pair of films 61 as shown in FIG. 5B. The film 61 is sufficiently flexible and is made of, for example, polyimide or silicon rubber. The heater wiring 62 is made of, for example, a nickel alloy resistance wire, a copper wire, or a silver wire.

[0062] Such a heating plate 60 has a thickness of about 0.2 mn! It can be set in the range of ~ 1.5 mm, and the movable magnet 71 smoothly makes contact and separation with the wafer W. He also Since the heater wiring 62 is protected by the film 61, the life of the heater wiring 62 is increased. Further, since the heating plate 60 is formed thin, the heat capacity can be reduced and the temperature can be increased or decreased quickly. As described above, since the temperature can be raised up to a predetermined temperature during the heat treatment and the temperature can be lowered after the heat treatment, the efficiency of the heat treatment can be improved.

Note that the heating plate 60 may have a structure in which the heater wiring 62 is laminated on one side (lower surface) side of the film 61, which is not necessarily a laminated laminate of the film 61 and the heater wiring 62. Thus, when the heating plate 60 has a thin structure, flexibility (deformability) of flexibility is improved.

 In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the heating plate 60 has a plurality (for example, six in this embodiment) of standing up on a concentric circle of the base plate 54 disposed on the bottom side of the processing container main body 52. A wafer guide 56 having a substantially frustoconical shape attached to a support member 55 that is supported horizontally by a support member 55 and protrudes on the heating plate 60 is provided. Further, on the surface of the heating plate 60, a plurality of (for example, 17 in this embodiment) gaps made of ceramic, for example, supporting the wafer W with a slight gap of, for example, 0.1 mm between the wafer W and the wafer W. Spacer 57 is installed. Therefore, the wafer W is placed on the gap spacer 57 while being positioned by the wafer guide 56.

 Note that the heating plate 60 is provided with three through holes 63 concentrically, and lift pins for transferring the wafer W to and from the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 in the through holes 63. 5 8 is formed so that it can penetrate. As shown in FIG. 4, the lift pins 58 extend slidably through the through holes 54 a and 52 a respectively drilled in the bottom of the base plate 54 and the processing container body 52. The lower end of the lift pin 58 is erected and fixed to the connecting plate 82. The connecting plate 82 is connected to a piston rod 81 of an elevating cylinder 80 that is an elevating mechanism disposed at the bottom of the processing unit 51. The driving of the elevating cylinder 80 raises and lowers the connecting plate 82 and lift pins 58 It comes to be.

On the other hand, the contact / separation moving means 70 is formed by a plurality of sets (for example, 17 sets) of magnets 71 and 72 facing each other with the wafer W placed on the heating plate 60 interposed therebetween. The movable magnet 71 is mounted at an appropriate position on the back surface of the heating plate 60 (for example, at the bottom of the gap spacer 57). ing. The movable magnet 71 is connected to the moving mechanism 75 via a spring member 73 connected to the lower end of the movable magnet 71. The spring member 73 biases the movable magnet 71 upward. When the moving mechanism 75 is driven, the movable magnet 71 is forcibly moved to the lower position, and the movable magnet 71 is pulled away from the fixed magnet 72. When the driving of the moving mechanism 75 is stopped, the movable magnet 71 is returned to the upper position by the spring member 73.

[0067] As the moving mechanism 75, for example, an air cylinder, a microplunger, or an electromagnet that performs a switching operation (ON / OFF operation) between a lower position and an upper position can be used. Further, as the moving mechanism 75, a proportional actuator capable of finely adjusting the height of the movable magnet 71 can be used.

 [0068] Each moving mechanism 75 is electrically connected to an output unit of a central processing unit 90 (CPU) as control means. The CPU 90 drives the moving mechanism 75 based on pre-stored heating information, and controls the position of the movable magnet 71, that is, the contact / separation position between the wafer W and the heating plate 60. Here, “heating information” refers to data such as the state of warping of the wafer W and the heating temperature distribution related to the circuit pattern formed on the wafer W. These data on heating information were obtained in advance through a demonstration test and stored in memory so that they can be read out. The CPU 90 can control each moving mechanism 75 based on the data related to the heating information.

 The other magnet 72 (fixed magnet) is fixed on a thin support plate 74 disposed on the back side of the lid 53. The movable magnet 71 and the fixed magnet 72 have magnetic poles that repel each other on the open surface side.

 A temperature sensitive film 77 is attached to the lower surface of the support plate 74. A detection end of a temperature detector 78 is connected to a position of the temperature sensitive film 77. The temperature detector 78 digitally displays temperature information (temperature distribution information) obtained from the temperature sensitive film 77 and sends the detection signal to the CPU 90. The CPU 90 can control each moving mechanism 75 based on an input signal from the temperature detector 78 and data related to the heating information.

 Next, an outline of the operation of the contact / separation moving means 70 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C and FIGS. 7A and 7B.

In the present embodiment, the moving mechanism 75 is switched between the lower position and the upper position (ON, OF F) When using air cylinders, microplungers, electromagnets, etc. First, when the lid 53 is open, the movable magnet 71 and the fixed magnet 72 are separated from each other as shown in FIG. 6A. Therefore, the movable magnet 71 is positioned at the upper position by the biasing force of the spring member 73. To do. In this state, the distance between the warp of the peripheral portion of the wafer W and the heating plate 60 is large.

 Next, the lid 53 is lowered, and the opening of the processing container main body 52 is closed by the lid 53. As shown in FIG. 6B, the movable magnet 71 and the fixed magnet 72 attract each other, and the movable magnet 71 moves to the fixed magnet 72 side to bring the heating plate 60 close to or in contact with the warped portion of the wafer. Heat the warped part of W. Further, when the heating temperature of the wafer W is lowered, as shown in FIG. 6C, the moving mechanism 75 is driven based on a control signal from the CPU 90 to pull the heating plate 60 away from the wafer W, thereby Control the heat treatment.

 [0074] As shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B, the switching mechanism (ON, OFF operation) of the moving mechanism 75 based on the control signal from the CPU 90 is appropriately performed within the processing time (for example, 90 seconds), thereby increasing the heating temperature. The degree is corrected. This makes it possible to deal with actual device wafers where warpage of the wafer W and circuit patterns are formed, and with a single heater wiring 62 that does not require multi-channel heaters, it is possible to By controlling it, it is possible to have a free temperature distribution and to easily correct the line width.

 In the present embodiment, the heating plate 60 is brought close to the wafer W by attracting the movable magnet 71 and the fixed magnet 72 by making the magnetic poles on the opposed surfaces of the movable magnet 71 and the fixed magnet 72 opposite to each other. Make contact. Further, the heating plate 60 is separated from the wafer W by forcibly pulling the movable magnet 71 away from the fixed magnet 72 by the moving mechanism 75. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and these operations may be reversed. That is, the heating plate 60 may be separated from the weno and W by making the magnetic poles of the opposed surfaces of the movable magnet 71 and the fixed magnet 72 the same pole and repelling the movable magnet 71 and the fixed magnet 72. Also, the heating plate 60 may be brought close to the wafer W by forcibly bringing the movable magnet 71 close to the wafer W by the moving mechanism 75! /.

 [0076] (Second Embodiment)

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. This embodiment However, the description of the same part as the above embodiment is omitted.

 [0077] In the apparatus of the second embodiment, the contact and separation of the heating plate 60A with respect to the wafer W is smoothed, and the flexibility of flexibility is increased. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, by forming a straight slit 64a, an inner arcuate slit 64b, an intermediate arcuate slit 64c, and an outer arcuate slit 64d on the heating plate 60A, the wafer W of the heating plate 60A is formed. The contact / separation movement with respect to the surface becomes smooth, and the flexibility of flexibility increases.

 [0078] In the straight slit 64a, the central force of the heating plate 60A also extends radially to the outer peripheral portion. The inward arc-shaped slit 64b is along a concentric circle on the innermost circumference of the heating plate 60A. The intermediate arc-shaped slit 64c is along a concentric circle in the middle of the heating plate 60A. The outer arc-shaped slit 64d is along the outermost concentric circle of the heating plate 60A.

 [0079] In this way, by forming many slits 64a, 64b, 64c, 64d in the Calo heat plate 60A, the heating plate 60A can be smoothly moved toward and away from the well and W, and flexible. The heating plate 60A can be easily deformed by increasing the temperature, so that highly accurate temperature control can be performed by using a small amount of V, mechanical or electrical energy such as power saving.

 [0080] Note that the slits provided in the heating plate 60A are not necessarily the slits 64a, 64b, 64c, 64d, and may be any shape or number of slits as long as the shape facilitates deformation of the heating plate 60A. But ヽ.

 [0081] (Third embodiment)

 Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B. In addition, description of the part which this embodiment overlaps with the above-mentioned embodiment is abbreviate | omitted.

In the third embodiment, the appropriate portion of the heating plate 60 is forcibly moved toward and away from the wafer W using the moving mechanism 75A. A moving part 76 of a moving mechanism 75A formed by, for example, a proportional type actuator is connected to an appropriate position of the heating plate 60, and the current of the moving mechanism 75A is controlled based on a control signal from the CPU 90 to control the moving part 76. Adjust the height, that is, the amount of movement of the heating plate 60 relative to the wafer W. In this way, as shown in FIG. 9A, the force for bringing heating plate 60 close to wafer W As shown in FIG. 9B, heating plate 60 is pulled away from wafer W to heat-process wafer W. In the present embodiment, when the moving mechanism 75A is formed by a proportional type actuator V, the force moving mechanism 75A described above is not necessarily formed by a proportional type actuator, for example, an air cylinder or a micro plunger. Etc.

 [0084] (Fourth embodiment)

 Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, description of the part which this embodiment overlaps with the above-mentioned embodiment is abbreviate | omitted.

 [0085] In the fourth embodiment, a heating plate of a ceramic material (specifically, alumina-based ceramics) conventionally used is made flexible so that the heat treatment of the wafer W can be controlled. Yes. That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the heating plate 60B having a ceramic material force is formed by cutting to a thickness capable of bending, for example, 3 mm or less. For example, the moving part 76 of the moving mechanism 75A is connected to the center part of the heating plate 60B.

 [0086] According to the present embodiment, the current of the moving mechanism 75A is controlled based on the control signal from the CPU 90, and the height of the moving unit 76, that is, the contact / separation movement amount of the heating plate 60B with respect to the wafer W is adjusted. Can do.

 In the above embodiment, the power described in the case where the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention is applied to a heat treatment apparatus in a resist coating / development processing system for semiconductor wafers. Of course, it can also be applied to the apparatus.

Claims

The scope of the claims  [1] A heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a substrate to be treated,  A processing container having an upper opening and containing a substrate to be processed;  In order to heat the substrate to be processed, the substrate is disposed in the vicinity of the substrate to be processed in the processing container, or the substrate to be processed is mounted on the substrate and has a flexible heating plate. Contact / separation moving means for bringing the heating plate close to or in contact with the substrate to be processed and pulling the heating plate away from the substrate to be processed;  A heat treatment apparatus comprising:  [2] The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:  There is provided means for acquiring heating information of the substrate to be processed and storing it so as to be readable, and control means for controlling the operation of the contact / separation moving means based on the heating information.  [3] The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:  Means for acquiring heating information of the substrate to be processed and storing the information in a readable manner; a temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the substrate to be processed in the processing container;  Control means for controlling the operation of the contacting / separating means based on the heating information and a temperature detection result from the temperature detector.  [4] The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:  A lid for closing the upper opening of the processing container;  One set or a plurality of sets of magnets, which are included in the contact / separation moving means and face each other with a substrate to be processed interposed therebetween,  One magnet of the set of magnets is attached to the processing container, and the other magnet of the set of magnets is attached to the lid. [5] The apparatus according to claim 4,  One of the opposing magnets is an electromagnet. [6] The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: One of the magnets facing each other is attached, and has a moving mechanism for forcibly bringing the one magnet close to or away from the other magnet. [7] The apparatus of claim 1,  The contact / separation moving means has a plurality of moving mechanisms arranged to correspond to appropriate portions of the substrate to be processed in the processing container,  Each of the moving mechanisms forces the heating plate to approach or come into contact with an appropriate portion of the substrate to be processed, and pulls the heating plate away from the appropriate portion of the substrate to be processed.  [8] The apparatus of claim 1,  The heating plate is formed by laminating a flexible film and heater wiring. [9] The apparatus of claim 1,  The heating plate includes a pair of flexible films and heater wiring provided between the pair of films. [10] The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1,  A plurality of slits are formed in the heating plate. [11] The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:  A plurality of gap spacers are provided on the heating plate and support the substrate to be processed so that a slight gap is formed between the heating plate and the substrate to be processed. [12] The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:  A plurality of gap spacers are attached to the upper part of the magnet movably supported by the moving mechanism and support the substrate to be processed so that a slight gap is formed between the heating plate and the substrate to be processed. . [13] A method of heat-treating a substrate to be processed to a predetermined temperature,  (a) The substrate to be processed is accommodated in a processing container so as to face the flexible heating plate, and the substrate to be processed is brought close to or in contact with the heating plate,  (b) The heating plate is displaced by the contact / separation moving means, the heating plate is brought close to or in contact with the object to be processed, and the substrate to be processed is heated by the heating plate. (c) A heat treatment method characterized in that the heating plate is also forcibly separated by the contact / separation moving means. [14] The heat treatment method according to claim 13, further comprising:  Prior to the step (a), the heating information of the substrate to be processed is acquired and stored so as to be readable.  In the step (b), the operation of the contact / separation moving means is controlled based on the heating information.  [15] The heat treatment method according to claim 13, further comprising:  Before the step (a), the heating information of the substrate to be processed is acquired and stored so as to be readable.  In the step (a), the temperature distribution of the substrate to be processed is detected,  In the step (b), the operation of the contact / separation moving means is controlled based on the temperature detection result and the heating information.