Substrate processing device

Abstract

This invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus. The coating apparatus includes a stage assembly and a nozzle assembly. In the stage assembly, a substrate is held on a plate component. The nozzle assembly has a slit-shaped nozzle outlet and is positioned above the stage assembly. The nozzle assembly is moved above the stage assembly while spraying coating liquid from the nozzle outlet to supply the entire upper surface of the substrate. In either the stage assembly or the nozzle assembly, the temperature of the coating liquid is adjusted based on the position of the coating liquid on the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for forming a coating film on the upper surface of a substrate. Background Technology

[0002] Substrate processing apparatus is used to perform various processing on substrates such as semiconductor substrates, substrates for FPD (Flat Panel Display) devices such as liquid crystal display devices or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices, substrates for optical discs, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical discs, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, or substrates for solar cells.

[0003] As an example of a substrate processing apparatus, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-046850 discloses a rotary substrate processing apparatus for forming a resist film on a substrate. In this apparatus, a resist liquid is supplied to the center of a substrate that is held horizontally and rotated. The supplied resist liquid diffuses toward the periphery of the substrate, thereby forming a resist film on the entire upper surface of the substrate. The substrate with the resist film formed is then subjected to specified treatments such as drying. Thus, a resist film is formed on the upper surface of the substrate.

[0004] As described above, the method of forming a coating film (resist film) on the upper surface of a rotating substrate by supplying a coating solution (resist) to the upper surface of the substrate is called spin coating. It is known that the resist film formed by spin coating is prone to uneven coating, such as streaks. Streaks are patterns that occur on the substrate due to differences in film thickness when forming the coating film, and they radiate from the center of the substrate outwards. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In addition to spin coating, another method for forming a coated film is slit coating, in which a coating liquid nozzle having a slit-shaped outlet is scanned across a substrate to form a coated film. This method is called slit coating. When a coated film is formed by slit coating, no streaks are produced. However, the thickness deviation of the coated film formed on the substrate by slit coating is greater than that of the coated film formed on the substrate by spin coating.

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of forming a coating film on a substrate with improved film thickness uniformity.

[0007] (1) A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a first substrate holding section having a first plate member for placing a substrate, holding the substrate placed on the first plate member in a predetermined fixed posture, the substrate having at least a portion of a circular outer periphery; a liquid supply section disposed above the first substrate holding section, having a slit-shaped nozzle, spraying a coating liquid from the nozzle onto the upper surface of the substrate; a relative movement section for moving the first plate member relative to the liquid supply section such that the coating liquid sprayed from the liquid supply section forms a film of coating liquid on the entire upper surface of the substrate held by the first substrate holding section; and a temperature adjustment section for adjusting the temperature of at least one of the coating liquids guided to the nozzle in the liquid supply section and the coating liquids coated onto the substrate.

[0008] In this substrate processing apparatus, with the substrate held on a first plate member, the first plate member is moved relative to the liquid supply unit. At this time, a coating liquid is sprayed from a slit-shaped nozzle of the liquid supply unit onto the upper surface of the substrate, thereby forming a film of the coating liquid on the entire upper surface of the substrate. Thus, by forming a coating film by scanning the liquid supply unit with the slit-shaped nozzle onto the substrate, the generation of uneven coating can be reduced.

[0009] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus, the temperature of the coating liquid guided to the nozzle in the liquid supply section and the coating liquid applied to the substrate are adjusted. In other words, the temperature of at least one of the coating liquids supplied before and after the substrate is adjusted. As a result, the thickness of the coating film formed on the substrate can be made uniform.

[0010] (2) Alternatively, the liquid supply unit may include a coating liquid flow path that guides the coating liquid supplied from the coating liquid supply system to the spray outlet, and the temperature adjustment unit may include a coating liquid adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of the coating liquid that is guided to the spray outlet through the coating liquid flow path in a manner that the flow distribution of the coating liquid sprayed from the multiple parts of the spray outlet of the liquid supply unit is a predetermined flow distribution.

[0011] The higher the temperature of the coating solution, the lower its viscosity; conversely, the lower the temperature, the higher its viscosity. Regarding the amount of coating solution flowing through the flow path per unit time, i.e., the flow rate, the lower the viscosity, the higher the flow rate; and vice versa.

[0012] Therefore, according to the aforementioned configuration, by adjusting the temperature of the coating liquid flowing through multiple portions of the coating liquid flow path, a predetermined amount of coating liquid is supplied from multiple portions of the nozzle to multiple portions of the substrate. Thus, by appropriately specifying a predetermined flow rate distribution of the coating liquid ejected from the multiple portions of the nozzle, the uniformity of the coating film thickness formed on the substrate can be improved.

[0013] (3) Alternatively, the coating liquid adjustment unit may adjust the temperature of the coating liquid in multiple portions that are guided to the spray nozzle in such a way that the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate is lower than the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to the center of the substrate.

[0014] According to the aforementioned configuration, the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to at least a portion of the substrate's outer periphery is lower, thus increasing the viscosity of the coating liquid supplied to at least a portion of the substrate's outer periphery. Consequently, the amount of coating liquid supplied to at least a portion of the substrate's outer periphery can be less than the amount supplied to other portions. As a result, the situation where the thickness of the coating film formed on at least a portion of the substrate's outer periphery is greater than that on other portions is suppressed.

[0015] (4) Alternatively, in the liquid supply section, the nozzle is arranged to extend along the first direction, and the relative movement section is arranged such that, with the substrate held in a fixed position in the first substrate holding section, the nozzle of the liquid supply section moves relative to the first substrate holding section in a second direction that intersects the first direction through the space on the substrate. In the substrate placed on the first plate member, an annular region with a fixed width including the outer peripheral end and a central region inside the annular region are defined. When the coating liquid adjustment section moves relative to the liquid supply section and the first substrate holding section through the relative movement section, the temperature of the coating liquid sprayed from the portion of the nozzle of the liquid supply section that overlaps with the annular region of the substrate placed on the first plate member when viewed from above, is adjusted to a predetermined first temperature, and the temperature of the coating liquid sprayed from the portion of the nozzle of the liquid supply section that does not overlap with the annular region of the substrate placed on the first plate member when viewed from above, is adjusted to a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

[0016] According to the aforementioned configuration, the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to the annular region of the substrate is lower than the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to the central region of the substrate. Therefore, the viscosity of the coating liquid supplied to the annular region of the substrate is higher than the viscosity of the coating liquid supplied to the central region. Consequently, the amount of coating liquid supplied to the annular region of the substrate can be less than the amount supplied to the central region. As a result, the situation where the thickness of the coating film formed on the outer periphery of the substrate is greater than that of other portions is suppressed.

[0017] (5) Alternatively, the first plate component may have multiple regions, and the temperature adjustment unit may include a first plate adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of each of the multiple regions of the first plate component.

[0018] According to the aforementioned configuration, by appropriately adjusting the temperature of multiple regions of the first plate component, the viscosity of the coating liquid in the annular region of the substrate can be suppressed from increasing. This improves the uniformity of the coating film thickness formed on the substrate.

[0019] (6) Alternatively, the plurality of regions of the first plate component may include: a plurality of first regions that overlap with at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate disposed on the first plate component; and a plurality of second regions that overlap with the central portion of the substrate disposed on the first plate component; and the size of each of the plurality of first regions in the radial direction of the substrate is smaller than the size of each of the plurality of second regions in the radial direction of the substrate.

[0020] In this case, the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to the outer periphery of the substrate can be adjusted with higher precision compared to the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to the center of the substrate.

[0021] (7) Alternatively, the first plate adjustment unit adjusts the temperature of multiple regions of the first plate component in such a way that the temperature of the portion overlapping at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate placed on the first plate component is higher than the temperature of the portion overlapping the central portion of the substrate placed on the first plate component.

[0022] According to the aforementioned configuration, the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate is increased, thus the viscosity of the coating liquid supplied to at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate is decreased. Therefore, the situation where the coating film formed on at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate has a greater thickness than on other portions due to the increased viscosity of the coating liquid on at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate is suppressed.

[0023] (8) Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus may include: a coating apparatus for coating a coating liquid onto a substrate; and a liquid film drying apparatus for drying a film of coating liquid formed on the substrate by the coating apparatus; the coating apparatus includes a first substrate holding section, a liquid supply section, and a relative moving section; the liquid film drying apparatus includes: a second substrate holding section having a second plate member for placing a substrate, holding the substrate placed on the second plate member in a predetermined fixed posture, wherein the substrate is coated with a film of coating liquid by the coating apparatus; a chamber having an internal space for accommodating the second substrate holding section; and a liquid film drying section for depressurizing the space inside the chamber while the substrate is held by the second substrate holding section, thereby drying the film of coating liquid formed on the substrate held by the second substrate holding section; the second plate member having multiple regions, and a temperature adjustment section including a second plate adjustment section for adjusting the temperature of each of the multiple regions of the second plate member.

[0024] In this case, in the liquid film drying apparatus, with the substrate held on the second plate member within the chamber, the internal space of the chamber is depressurized, thereby drying the coating liquid film on the substrate. At this time, the temperature of multiple regions of the second plate member is adjusted individually. Therefore, by appropriately adjusting the temperature of multiple regions of the second plate member, the viscosity of the coating liquid located in the annular region of the substrate can be suppressed from increasing. This improves the uniformity of the coating film thickness formed on the substrate.

[0025] (9) Alternatively, the multiple regions of the second plate component may include: multiple third regions that overlap with at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate disposed on the second plate component; and multiple fourth regions that overlap with the central portion of the substrate disposed on the second plate component; and the size of the multiple third regions in the radial direction of the substrate is smaller than the size of the multiple fourth regions in the radial direction of the substrate.

[0026] In this case, the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to the outer periphery of the substrate can be adjusted with higher precision compared to the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to the center of the substrate.

[0027] (10) Alternatively, the second plate adjustment unit may adjust the temperature of multiple regions of the second plate component in such a way that the temperature of the portion overlapping at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate placed on the second plate component is higher than the temperature of the portion overlapping the central portion of the substrate placed on the second plate component.

[0028] According to the aforementioned configuration, the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate is increased, thus the viscosity of the coating liquid supplied to at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate is decreased. Therefore, the situation where the coating film formed on at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate has a greater thickness than on other portions due to the increased viscosity of the coating liquid on at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate is suppressed.

[0029] (11) A substrate processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention comprises: a substrate holding section having a plate member for placing a substrate, holding the substrate placed on the plate member in a fixed posture, the substrate having at least a portion of a circular outer periphery and having a coating liquid film formed thereon; a chamber having an internal space for accommodating the substrate holding section; a liquid film drying section for depressurizing the space inside the chamber while the substrate is held by the substrate holding section, thereby drying the coating liquid film formed on the substrate held by the substrate holding section; and a temperature adjustment section for adjusting the temperature of the coating liquid coated on the substrate; the plate member having multiple regions, and the temperature adjustment section adjusting the temperature of each of the multiple regions of the plate member.

[0030] In this substrate processing apparatus, a substrate having at least a circular outer periphery and a coating liquid film formed thereon is held on a plate member within a chamber. In this state, the internal space of the chamber is depressurized, thereby drying the coating liquid film on the substrate. At this time, the temperature of multiple regions of the plate member is adjusted individually. Therefore, by appropriately adjusting the temperature of multiple regions of the plate member, the viscosity of the coating liquid located at the outer periphery of the substrate can be suppressed from increasing. This prevents the coating film thickness at the outer periphery of the substrate from being greater than that in other areas.

[0031] In the substrate processing apparatus, the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to the substrate is adjusted. This allows for the uniformity of the coating film thickness formed on the substrate. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a basic structural diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of the coating apparatus.

[0034] Figure 3 It is a graph used to illustrate the tendency of film thickness deviation that is usually produced by using slot coating.

[0035] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the nozzle assembly.

[0036] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 Perspective view and longitudinal section view of the nozzle device.

[0037] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing an example of the variation of the nozzle assembly.

[0038] Figure 7 It means to use Figure 4 A diagram showing a specific example of substrate coating treatment for a nozzle device.

[0039] Figure 8 It means to use Figure 4 A diagram showing a specific example of substrate coating treatment for a nozzle device.

[0040] Figure 9 It means to use Figure 4 A diagram showing a specific example of substrate coating treatment for a nozzle device.

[0041] Figure 10 It means to use Figure 4 A diagram showing a specific example of substrate coating treatment for a nozzle device.

[0042] Figure 11 It means to use Figure 4 A diagram showing a specific example of substrate coating treatment for a nozzle device.

[0043] Figure 12 It means to use Figure 4 A diagram showing a specific example of substrate coating treatment for a nozzle device.

[0044] Figure 13 yes Figure 2 A top view of the platform device.

[0045] Figure 14 yes Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the platform device.

[0046] Figure 15 It means installed in Figure 14 A diagram showing an example of an auxiliary device for temperature adjustment on a stage assembly.

[0047] Figure 16 This is a top view showing another configuration example of the platform device.

[0048] Figure 17 This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the coating apparatus.

[0049] Figure 18 yes Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of the liquid film drying device.

[0050] Figure 19 This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the liquid film drying device. Detailed Implementation

[0051] Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, "substrate" refers to substrates used in liquid crystal display devices or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices, such as substrates for FPD (Flat Panel Display), semiconductor substrates, substrates for optical discs, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical discs, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, or substrates for solar cells. Furthermore, the substrate described below is circular in plan view, except for the portion forming the notch.

[0052] [1] Basic structure of substrate processing device

[0053] Figure 1 This is a basic structural diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a coating apparatus 100, a liquid film drying apparatus 200, a post-processing apparatus 300, a conveying apparatus 400, and a control apparatus 500.

[0054] The coating apparatus 100 supplies a specified coating liquid to the upper surface of the untreated substrate W, forming a liquid film of the coating liquid. In this embodiment, the coating liquid is a resist coating liquid (resist) or an antireflective coating liquid (antireflective liquid). Details regarding the configuration and operation of the coating apparatus 100 will be described below.

[0055] A substrate W, on which a coating liquid film has been formed using a coating apparatus 100, is placed into a liquid film drying apparatus 200. The liquid film drying apparatus 200 dries the liquid film formed on the substrate W. As a result, a coating film FF is formed on the substrate W. Details of the liquid film drying apparatus 200 will be described below.

[0056] The substrate W, on which a coated film FF has been formed using the liquid film drying apparatus 200, is transferred into the post-processing apparatus 300. The post-processing apparatus 300 performs a pre-defined treatment on the substrate W with the coated film FF formed. For example, Figure 1 The post-processing device 300 includes a rotating suction cup 310, a protective cover 320, an edge cleaning nozzle 331, and multiple (two in this example) post-cleaning nozzles 332.

[0057] In this case, the rotating chuck 310 holds the substrate W in a horizontal position and rotates the substrate W about an axis in the vertical direction by adsorbing the central part of the lower surface of the substrate W on which the coating film FF is formed.

[0058] Edge cleaning nozzle 331 sprays a removal liquid that dissolves the coated film FF onto the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the substrate W, which is rotated by a rotary chuck 310. This removes a portion of the coated film FF formed at the outer peripheral end from the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the substrate W. Multiple post-cleaning nozzles 332 spray a removal liquid onto the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the substrate W, which is also rotated by the rotary chuck 310. This removes any precipitates or other coating liquid adhering to the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the substrate W.

[0059] The shield 320 is arranged to surround the rotating suction cup 310. The shield 320 blocks liquid splashed from the substrate W when the removal liquid is supplied from the edge cleaning nozzle 331 or the rear cleaning nozzle 332 toward the substrate W. The blocked liquid is either recovered or discarded.

[0060] Furthermore, in the post-processing apparatus 300, an organic solvent (e.g., a diluent) may be used for drying the substrate W. Alternatively, the post-processing apparatus 300 is not limited to the examples described above, and may be configured to perform heat treatment on the substrate W to which the coated film FF is formed, or to perform exposure treatment on part or all of the substrate W to which the coated film FF is formed.

[0061] The conveying device 400 conveys the substrate W between the coating device 100, the liquid film drying device 200, and the post-processing device 300. The control device 500, for example, includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory, or a microcomputer, and assigns various command signals related to substrate processing to the coating device 100, the liquid film drying device 200, the post-processing device 300, and the conveying device 400.

[0062] [2] Composition and basic operation of coating apparatus 100

[0063] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of the coating apparatus 100. (See attached image.) Figure 2 As shown, the coating apparatus 100 mainly includes a control unit 110, two stage supports 120, a stage assembly 130, two nozzle supports 140, and a nozzle assembly 150, all housed within a housing (not shown). Figure 2 In the figures specified below, arrows indicating the mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z directions are marked to clarify the positional relationships. The X and Y directions are mutually orthogonal in the horizontal plane, and the Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction.

[0064] Control unit 110 response from Figure 1 The control unit 500 controls the operation of each part of the coating apparatus 100 via command signals. Details regarding the control unit 110 will be described below. Two stage supports 120 each have a cuboid shape extending in one direction and are disposed on the bottom surface of a housing (not shown) extending along the X direction. A guide rail 121 extending along the length direction of each stage support 120 is provided on the upper surface of each stage support 120. Furthermore, the two stage supports 120 are arranged in a manner oriented in the Y direction.

[0065] The platform device 130 is located between two platform supports 120 in the Y direction and is supported by the two platform supports 120. The platform device 130 includes a plate component 131, a plate adjustment part 132, multiple support pins 133, a pin lifting drive part 134, and a suction drive part 135.

[0066] The plate component 131 is formed of stone with a rectangular flat plate shape and constitutes the upper surface portion of the stage device 130. A substrate W, which is to be processed, is placed on a portion of the plate component 131. In the portion of the plate component 131 for placing the substrate W (hereinafter referred to as the substrate placement portion), a plurality of air inlets and a plurality of pin insertion holes (not shown) are formed in such a way that they penetrate the plate component 131 in the Z direction.

[0067] In the stage assembly 130, a plate adjustment section 132, multiple support pins 133, a pin lifting drive section 134, and a suction drive section 135 are provided at the lower part of the plate component 131. The plate adjustment section 132 adjusts the temperature of the substrate mounting portion of the plate component 131. Details about the plate adjustment section 132 will be described below.

[0068] Multiple support pins 133 are supported by a pin lifting drive unit 134 in a manner that extends vertically and overlaps with multiple pin insertion holes provided in the substrate mounting portion when viewed from above. The pin lifting drive unit 134 moves the multiple support pins 133 vertically under the control of the control unit 110. As a result, the upper ends of the multiple support pins 133 move between a pin-raised position higher than the plate member 131 and a pin-lowered position lower than the plate member 131.

[0069] Therefore, when the substrate W is moved into the coating apparatus 100, with the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 133 in the pin-raised position, Figure 1 The untreated substrate W held by the conveying device 400 is transferred to the plurality of support pins 133. Furthermore, when the substrate W is removed from the coating apparatus 100, with the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 133 in the pin-raised position, it is... Figure 1 The conveying device 400 receives the processed substrate W supported on a plurality of support pins 133. Furthermore, when the substrate W is coated in the coating device 100, the coating liquid is supplied to the substrate W placed on the substrate mounting portion of the plate member 131 with the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 133 in the pin-down position.

[0070] Multiple air inlets formed on the plate member 131 are connected to the factory's exhaust equipment, etc., via a suction drive unit 135 and an air intake system (not shown). The suction drive unit 135, under the control of the control unit 110, switches the air intake path formed between the multiple air inlets and the air intake system between a connected state and a blocked state. With this configuration, when a substrate W is placed on the substrate mounting portion of the plate member 131, the suction drive unit 135 can adsorb and hold the substrate W on the substrate mounting portion by making the air intake path connected. Furthermore, when the substrate W is adsorbed and held on the substrate mounting portion, the suction drive unit 135 can release the substrate W from the plate member 131 by blocking the air intake path.

[0071] Two nozzle supports 140 are respectively disposed on the upper surface of two stage supports 120. The two nozzle supports 140 are arranged in the Y direction. The two nozzle supports 140 are each movable in the X direction along the guide rail 121 of the stage support 120 on which the nozzle support 140 is disposed.

[0072] The nozzle device 150 is located between two nozzle supports 140 in the Y direction and is supported by the two nozzle supports 140. At least one of the two nozzle supports 140 houses an X-direction drive unit 141, a Z-direction drive unit 142, and a liquid supply unit 143.

[0073] The nozzle assembly 150 includes a nozzle block 151 and a nozzle adjustment section 152. The nozzle block 151 has a cuboid shape extending in one direction, and has a slit-shaped nozzle outlet 14 extending in that direction on its lower surface. Figure 4 Additionally, the nozzle assembly 151 is connected to a coating liquid supply system (not shown) via a liquid supply section 143 provided in the nozzle support 140. Inside the nozzle assembly 151, a coating liquid flow path 13 connected to the nozzle outlet 14 is formed. Figure 4 The liquid supply section 143 of the nozzle support 140 includes, for example, a pump and a valve, and supplies coating liquid from the coating liquid supply system to the nozzle assembly 151 under the control of the control section 110. Thus, in the nozzle assembly 151, the coating liquid supplied from the liquid supply section 143 is ejected from the nozzle outlet 14 after passing through the coating liquid flow path 13. Alternatively, the liquid supply section 143 may stop supplying coating liquid from the coating liquid supply system to the nozzle assembly 151 under the control of the control section 110.

[0074] In this example, the nozzle assembly 151 is supported by two nozzle supports 140, with the nozzle outlet 14 of the nozzle assembly 151 extending in the Y direction. The nozzle adjustment unit 152 is configured to adjust the temperature of the coating liquid flowing through the coating liquid flow path 13 within the nozzle assembly 151. Details regarding the nozzle device 150 will be described below.

[0075] The X-direction drive unit 141, for example, includes an actuator such as a motor, and moves the nozzle support 140 along the X-direction on the guide rail 121 of the stage support 120 under the control of the control unit 110. The Z-direction drive unit 142, for example, includes an actuator such as a motor, and moves the nozzle assembly 150 supported by the nozzle support 140 in the Z-direction under the control of the control unit 110. Thus, in the coating apparatus 100, as Figure 2 As indicated by the hollow arrows AX and AY, the nozzle device 150 can be moved along the X and Z directions on the substrate W placed on the stage device 130.

[0076] During the coating process on the substrate W, with the substrate W adsorbed and held on the plate component 131, the nozzle device 150 moves along the X direction in the space above the substrate W. At this time, the position (height) of the nozzle device 150 in the Z direction is such that the coating liquid in the nozzle assembly 151 is drawn from the nozzle outlet 14 to the gap between the nozzle assembly 151 and the substrate W using a capillary phenomenon, so that the nozzle outlet 14 is sufficiently close to the upper surface of the substrate W. This method of supplying coating liquid to the substrate W from the nozzle outlet using a capillary phenomenon is called capillary coating.

[0077] [3] Film thickness distribution deviation caused by slit coating

[0078] A coating method in which a coating liquid nozzle (so-called a slit nozzle) with a slit-shaped outlet is scanned on a substrate W is called slit coating. The capillary coating is an example of slit coating. Here, as explained in the problem to be solved by the invention, the film thickness of the coating film FF formed on the substrate W using slit coating is prone to deviation.

[0079] Figure 3 This is a graph used to illustrate the tendency of film thickness deviations that typically occur when using slot coating. For example... Figure 3 As shown in the previous paragraph, assume the following situation: while the slit nozzle SN scans relative to the upper surface of the substrate W at, for example, a fixed speed, a coating liquid is sprayed from the slit nozzle SN onto the substrate W. Here, in Figure 3 In the example, the direction in which the slit nozzle SN moves relative to the substrate W is called the scanning direction D1, and the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction D1 is called the scanning orthogonal direction D2.

[0080] exist Figure 3 The middle right side, targeting the use Figure 3 The coating film FF formed on the upper surface of the substrate W by the method described above shows the film thickness distribution on a straight line L1 that passes through the center of the substrate W parallel to the scanning direction D1. Figure 3 In the curve graph on the right side of the middle section, the vertical axis represents the film thickness of the coated film FF, and the horizontal axis represents... Figure 3 In the schematic diagram on the left side of the middle section, the positions p10, p11, and p12 of the substrate W on the straight line L1 are shown. Position p10 is located at the center of the substrate W. Position p11 is located at one end of the substrate W in the scanning direction D1. Position p12 is located at the other end of the substrate W in the scanning direction D1. Furthermore, positions p11, p10, and p12 are arranged sequentially in the scanning direction D1.

[0081] according to Figure 3The curve on the right side of the middle section shows that the film thickness on the substrate W locally increases at positions p11 and p12. On the other hand, between positions p11 and p12, the film thickness on the substrate W gradually decreases from upstream to downstream in the scanning direction D1. In this case, for example, by appropriately varying the movement speed of the slit nozzle SN according to the position on the substrate W, the film thickness of the coated film FF along the straight line L1 can be made uniform.

[0082] exist Figure 3 The lower right side, targeting the use Figure 3 The coating film FF formed on the upper surface of the substrate W by the method described above shows the film thickness distribution on a straight line L2 that passes through the center of the substrate W parallel to the scanning orthogonal direction D2. Figure 3 In the curve graph on the lower right, the vertical axis represents the film thickness of the coated film FF, and the horizontal axis represents... Figure 3 In the schematic diagram on the lower left, the substrate W is positioned at points p10, p21, and p22 along line L2. Point p10 is located at the center of substrate W. Point p21 is located at one end of substrate W along the orthogonal scanning direction D2. Point p22 is located at the other end of substrate W along the orthogonal scanning direction D2. Furthermore, points p21, p10, and p22 are arranged sequentially along the orthogonal scanning direction D2.

[0083] according to Figure 3 The curve on the lower right side of the graph shows that the film thickness on substrate W locally increases at positions p21 and p22 on the outer periphery of substrate W, while the thickness is relatively uniform outside the outer periphery of substrate W. The film thickness deviation on line L2 is different from the film thickness deviation on line L1 parallel to the scanning direction D1, and it cannot be reduced even by adjusting the moving speed of the slit nozzle SN.

[0084] As described above, the thickness of the coating film FF formed on and near the outer periphery of the substrate W tends to be greater than the thickness of the coating film FF formed in the center of the substrate W. It is believed that this phenomenon is caused by the fact that the liquid film of the coating liquid formed on the outer periphery of the substrate W is cooled earlier than the liquid film of the coating liquid formed in the center of the substrate W, thus creating a viscosity difference between the two coating liquids.

[0085] Considering these aspects, the stage device 130 and the nozzle device 150 in the coating apparatus 100 of this embodiment were studied to make the film thickness of the coating liquid film formed on the substrate W uniform. Hereinafter, details of the stage device 130 and the nozzle device 150 will be described.

[0086] [4] Nozzle device 150

[0087] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Exploded perspective view of nozzle device 150. Figure 5 yes Figure 2 Perspective view and longitudinal section view of nozzle device 150. Figure 5 The upper section shows a perspective view of the nozzle assembly 150. The lower section shows a longitudinal sectional view of the nozzle assembly 150 obtained by cutting along the imaginary plane VS indicated by the double-dotted line in the upper section.

[0088] As described above, the nozzle assembly 151 has a cuboid shape extending in one direction (Y direction in this example) and is formed of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as metal. Inside the nozzle assembly 151 are formed a liquid inlet path 11, a coating liquid buffer section 12, and a coating liquid flow path 13. The coating liquid buffer section 12 is located slightly above the center of the nozzle assembly 151 and is configured to store a fixed amount of coating liquid.

[0089] A liquid introduction path 11 is formed extending in the Z direction from the upper surface of the nozzle assembly 151 to the coating liquid buffer section 12. One end of a pipe 153 for supplying coating liquid to the upper opening of the liquid introduction path 11 is connected to the upper surface of the nozzle assembly 151. The other end of the pipe 153 is connected to… Figure 2 Liquid supply section 143.

[0090] As described above, a slit-shaped nozzle outlet 14 is formed on the lower surface of the nozzle assembly 151. A coating liquid flow path 13 is formed extending in the Z direction from the nozzle outlet 14 to the coating liquid buffer section 12.

[0091] Here, the side of the nozzle assembly 151 that is orthogonal to the X direction when it is disposed within the coating apparatus 100 is referred to as the nozzle front surface 151s. Furthermore, in the nozzle assembly 151, as... Figure 5 As shown in the lower section, when viewed along the Y direction, the nozzle outlet 14 and the coating liquid flow path 13 are located near the nozzle front surface 151s. The nozzle adjustment part 152 is installed in the part of the nozzle front surface 151s that overlaps with the coating liquid flow path 13 when viewed along the X direction.

[0092] like Figure 4 As shown, the nozzle adjustment unit 152 includes multiple (10 in this example) thermoelectric elements e1 to e10, multiple (10 in this example) temperature sensors ts, and a cooling plate 21. The thermoelectric elements e1 to e10 are respectively composed of, for example, mica heaters or Peltier elements. Additionally, as... Figure 4 As shown by the hollow arrow A1, thermoelectric elements e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7, e8, e9, and e10 are attached to the nozzle front surface 151s of the nozzle assembly 151 in such a way that they overlap with the coating liquid flow path 13 when viewed along the X direction and are arranged sequentially in the Y direction.

[0093] Each of the thermoelectric elements e1 to e10 is connected to a drive circuit 152c for generating heat from the thermoelectric element. Figure 17 When thermoelectric elements e1 to e10 are respectively driven by drive circuit 152c ( Figure 17 When heat is generated, the coating liquid present in the coating liquid flow path 13 of the nozzle assembly 151 is heated. Multiple temperature sensors ts are respectively mounted on thermoelectric elements e1 to e10.

[0094] Cooling plate 21 is a long strip-shaped plate component made of a material with excellent thermal conductivity, such as Figure 4 As shown by the hollow arrow A2, it is attached to the nozzle front surface 151s of the nozzle assembly 151. Thus, on the nozzle front surface 151s, as... Figure 5 As shown, multiple thermoelectric elements e1 to e10 and temperature sensor ts are covered by cooling plate 21.

[0095] like Figure 4 As shown, a cooling water flow path 22 is formed inside the cooling plate 21. An inlet and an outlet of the cooling water flow path 22 are formed at the end of the cooling plate 21. A cooling water inlet pipe 23 is connected to the inlet portion of the cooling water flow path 22 in the cooling plate 21. A cooling water outlet pipe 24 is connected to the outlet portion of the cooling water flow path 22 in the cooling plate 21.

[0096] Cooling water is supplied from the cooling equipment to the cooling water flow path 22 of the cooling plate 21 via the inlet pipe 23. The cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow path 22 is then sent to the cooling equipment located outside the cooling plate 21 via the outlet pipe 24. As a result, when the multiple thermoelectric elements e1 to e10 are heating up, excessive temperature rise of the multiple thermoelectric elements e1 to e10 can be suppressed.

[0097] In the nozzle device 150, the drive circuit 152c is controlled based on the temperature detected by the corresponding temperature sensor ts. Figure 17 This allows multiple thermoelectric elements e1 to e10 to heat up at a predetermined temperature. Thus, the temperature of the coating liquid sprayed from multiple portions of the nozzle 14 can be adjusted to the desired temperature.

[0098] exist Figure 2 In the coating apparatus 100, a nozzle assembly with the following configuration may also be provided instead. Figure 4 Nozzle assembly 151. Figure 6 This is a diagram showing a variation of nozzle assembly 151. (Regarding...) Figure 6 Nozzle assembly 151 and Figure 4 The nozzle assembly 151 will be described in different aspects.

[0099] like Figure 6As shown in the upper section, in this example, multiple heat transfer sections 15 are provided in the coating liquid flow path 13 within the nozzle assembly 151. Figure 6 In the illustration, to facilitate understanding of the shapes of the multiple heat transfer sections 15, some portions of the heat transfer sections 15 are shaded. The heat transfer sections 15, like the nozzle assembly 151, are formed of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as metal, and are arranged to extend along the Z direction and be arranged in the Y direction within the coating liquid flow path 13. Alternatively, the heat transfer sections 15 may be formed of the same material as the nozzle assembly 151. In this case, both the nozzle assembly 151 and the heat transfer sections 15 may be constituted as a single component.

[0100] In the nozzle assembly 151 equipped with the heat transfer section 15, such as Figure 6 As shown in the lower section, the coating liquid flows through the coating liquid flow path 13 in a manner that passes between multiple heat transfer sections 15. In this case, Figure 5 The heat generated by the thermoelectric elements e1 to e10 is efficiently transferred to the coating liquid flowing through the coating liquid flow path 13 via the nozzle assembly 151 and multiple heat transfer parts 15.

[0101] Regarding the viscosity of the coating liquid, higher temperatures result in lower viscosity, while lower temperatures result in higher viscosity. Furthermore, when the coating liquid flows through a flow path with a fixed cross-sectional area, a higher viscosity reduces the flow rate. Conversely, a lower viscosity increases the flow rate. Therefore, as described above, adjusting the temperature of the coating liquid ejected from multiple portions of the nozzle 14 allows control over the flow rate of the coating liquid ejected from these portions.

[0102] Therefore, in this embodiment, the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to the outer periphery of the substrate W is adjusted in the nozzle device 150 such that the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to other parts is lower than the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to other parts. In this case, the amount of coating liquid supplied to the outer periphery of the substrate W is less than the amount of coating liquid supplied to other parts (such as the central part) of the substrate W. As a result, even when slit coating is used, the film thickness of the coating liquid on the outer periphery of the substrate W is prevented from being greater than that in other areas.

[0103] Figures 7-12 It means to use Figure 4 A figure shows a specific example of the coating process of the substrate W of the nozzle device 150. Figures 7-12 In the image, the movement of the nozzle assembly 150 relative to the substrate W during the coating process is shown in a top view in chronological order. Additionally, Figures 7-12In the substrate W shown, a region of fixed width including the outer peripheral end of the substrate W is defined as an annular region RR, and the region inside the annular region RR is defined as the central region IR. Furthermore, in the Y direction, a plurality of thermoelectric elements e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7, e8, e9, and e10 of the nozzle adjustment section 152 are arranged at equal intervals to cover the range from one end to the other end of the substrate W.

[0104] In this example, when the nozzle device 150 scans the substrate W, the temperature of the coating liquid ejected from the portion of the nozzle 14 that overlaps with the annular region RR of the substrate W when viewed from above is adjusted to a predetermined first temperature. Additionally, the temperature of the coating liquid ejected from the portion of the nozzle 14 that does not overlap with the annular region RR of the substrate W when viewed from above is adjusted to a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

[0105] Therefore, when at least a portion of the nozzle 14 overlaps with the annular region RR of the substrate W, the drive circuit 152c is controlled in such a way that the temperature of a portion of the thermoelectric element corresponding to the portion of the nozzle 14 that overlaps with the annular region RR in a top view is lower than the temperature of other thermoelectric elements. Figure 17 ). Figures 7-12 In the image, a darker shade indicates a portion of the thermoelectric elements whose heat output is set to be lower.

[0106] Specifically, in Figure 7 In this state, all portions of the nozzle 14 are deviated from the annular region RR of the substrate W. In this case, the temperature of all thermoelectric elements e1 to e10 is set to, for example, the second temperature.

[0107] In addition, Figure 8 In this state, the central portion of the nozzle 14 overlaps with the annular region RR. In this case, the temperature of thermoelectric elements e5 and e6, which correspond to the central portion of the nozzle 14 among thermoelectric elements e1 to e10, is set to, for example, a first temperature, and the temperature of the other thermoelectric elements e1 to e4 and e7 to e10 is set to, for example, a second temperature.

[0108] In addition, Figure 9 In this state, the two portions of the nozzle 14 overlap with the annular region RR. In this case, the temperature of thermoelectric elements e2 and e9, which correspond to the two portions of the nozzle 14 among thermoelectric elements e1 to e10, is set to, for example, a first temperature, and the temperature of the other thermoelectric elements e1, e3 to e8, and e10 is set to, for example, a second temperature.

[0109] In addition, Figure 10In this state, the two ends of the nozzle 14 overlap with the annular region RR. In this case, the temperature of thermoelectric elements e1 and e10, which correspond to the two ends of the nozzle 14, is set to, for example, a first temperature, and the temperature of the other thermoelectric elements e2 to e9 is set to, for example, a second temperature.

[0110] In addition, Figure 11 In this state, the two portions of the nozzle 14 overlap with the annular region RR. In this case, the temperature of thermoelectric elements e2 and e9, which correspond to the two portions of the nozzle 14 among thermoelectric elements e1 to e10, is set to, for example, a first temperature, and the temperature of the other thermoelectric elements e1, e3 to e8, and e10 is set to, for example, a second temperature.

[0111] Furthermore, in Figure 12 In this state, the central portion of the nozzle 14 overlaps with the annular region RR. In this case, the temperature of thermoelectric elements e5 and e6, which correspond to the central portion of the nozzle 14 among thermoelectric elements e1 to e10, is set to, for example, a first temperature, and the temperature of the other thermoelectric elements e1 to e4 and e7 to e10 is set to, for example, a second temperature.

[0112] According to the specific example, the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to the annular region RR of the substrate W is lower than the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to the central region IR of the substrate W. Therefore, the amount of coating liquid supplied to the annular region RR of the substrate W is less than the amount supplied to the central region IR of the substrate W. As a result, the situation where the thickness of the coating film FF formed on the outer periphery of the substrate W is greater than that of other parts is suppressed.

[0113] Furthermore, the temperatures of the multiple thermoelectric elements e1 to e10 can be set to a fixed value predetermined for each thermoelectric element during the coating process of the substrate W. In this case, for example, the set temperature of each thermoelectric element is specified by setting a temperature gradient in the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction (X direction) of the nozzle device 150. Specifically, the set temperature of each thermoelectric element is specified by setting a temperature that decreases from the center of the substrate W outward in the Y direction. Thus, the film thickness on the substrate W in the X direction can be controlled by adjusting the scanning speed of the nozzle device 150, while the film thickness of the coating liquid on the substrate W in the Y direction can be controlled by using the temperature control of the multiple thermoelectric elements e1 to e10.

[0114] When the nozzle assembly 151 is made of metal, it is preferable to pre-coat the portions of the nozzle assembly 151 that the coating liquid may come into contact with with a corrosion-resistant material. This allows the use of chemical liquids that corrode metals as the coating liquid.

[0115] [5] Platform device 130

[0116] Figure 13 yes Figure 2 A top view of the platform device 130. Figure 14 yes Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the stage assembly 130. In the following description, [the following text refers to...] Figure 2 The platform device 130 mainly describes the structure of the plate component 131 and the plate adjustment part 132. Therefore, in Figure 13 and Figure 14 The diagrams of the multiple air inlets and multiple pin insertion holes formed on the plate member 131 are omitted. Furthermore, the diagrams of the multiple support pins 133, the pin lifting drive unit 134, and the suction drive unit 135 provided at the lower part of the plate member 131 are also omitted.

[0117] In the stage device 130 of this embodiment, multiple regions ar are provided in the substrate mounting portion of the plate member 131. Figure 13 In the example, the multiple regions ar are arranged radially in the radial direction with reference to the center of the substrate W and at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction of the substrate W. In the radial direction of the substrate W mounted on the plate member 131, the size of each of the multiple regions ar that overlap with the outer periphery of the substrate W is smaller than the size of each of the multiple regions ar that overlap with the central portion of the substrate W.

[0118] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer edges of the outermost regions ar among the plurality of regions ar overlap with or surround the outer peripheral end of the substrate W mounted on the plate member 131 when viewed from above. The distance dd between the inner edges of the outermost regions ar and the outer peripheral end of the substrate W mounted on the plate member 131 in the radial direction of the substrate W mounted on the plate member 131 is... Figure 13 Preferably, it is 20 mm or less.

[0119] like Figure 14 As shown, a plate adjustment section 132 is provided at the lower part of the plate member 131. The plate adjustment section 132 includes multiple temperature sensors ts, multiple thermoelectric elements te, and a cooling plate 136. The multiple temperature sensors ts correspond to multiple regions ar of the plate member 131 and are mounted on the lower surface of the plate member 131. The multiple thermoelectric elements te are arranged below the plate member 131 in a manner that overlaps with the multiple regions ar defined in the plate member 131 when viewed from above. The multiple thermoelectric elements te are respectively composed of, for example, mica heaters or Peltier elements.

[0120] Each of the multiple thermoelectric elements te is connected to a drive circuit 132c for heating the thermoelectric element. Figure 17 When multiple thermoelectric elements te are driven by drive circuit 132c respectively ( Figure 17 When heat is generated, the region ar of the plate member 131 located directly above each thermoelectric element te is heated. Consequently, multiple portions of the substrate W located on the multiple regions ar of the plate member 131 are heated corresponding to the respective heating states of the multiple thermoelectric elements te. Therefore, when a liquid film of coating liquid is formed on the substrate W, the liquid film of coating liquid located on the multiple regions ar of the plate member 131 is heated corresponding to the respective heating states of the multiple thermoelectric elements te.

[0121] The cooling plate 136 is a circular plate component made of a material with excellent thermal conductivity. It supports multiple thermoelectric elements te from below by sandwiching them between the plate component 131 and the cooling plate 136. A cooling water flow path 136a is provided inside the cooling plate 136.

[0122] Cooling water is supplied from the cooling equipment to the cooling water flow path 136a of the cooling plate 136. Additionally, the cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow path 136a of the cooling plate 136 is sent to a cooling device located outside the cooling plate 21. Thus, when multiple thermoelectric elements te are heating up, excessive temperature rise of the multiple thermoelectric elements te can be suppressed.

[0123] In the stage device 130, a drive circuit 132c controls multiple thermoelectric elements te based on the temperature detected by the corresponding temperature sensor ts. Figure 17 This allows multiple thermoelectric elements te to heat up at a predetermined temperature. Therefore, when a coating liquid is supplied to the substrate W on the adsorption and holding plate component 131, the temperature of the coating liquid on the substrate W can be adjusted to the desired temperature.

[0124] Specifically, in this example, the driving circuit 132c of multiple thermoelectric elements te is controlled in such a way that the temperature of the coating liquid located on the outer periphery of the substrate W is not significantly lower than the temperature of the coating liquid located on the central part of the substrate W. Figure 17 Alternatively, the drive circuit 132c of multiple thermoelectric elements te can be controlled such that the temperature of the coating liquid located on the outer periphery of the substrate W is the same as or higher than the temperature of the coating liquid located on the central part of the substrate W. Figure 17 ).

[0125] In this case, the situation where the viscosity of the coating liquid located at the outer periphery of the substrate W is significantly lower than the viscosity of the coating liquid located at the center of the substrate W is suppressed. As a result, the situation where the thickness of the coating film FF formed at the outer periphery of the substrate W is greater than the thickness of the coating film FF formed at the center of the substrate W is suppressed.

[0126] In addition, the temperature of the cooling water supplied to the cooling plate 136 needs to be set lower than the lower limit of the temperature range in the stage device 130 where temperature adjustment should be performed.

[0127] In the stage device 130, except Figure 14 In addition to the plate adjustment section 132, an auxiliary device may also be provided, which is used to adjust the temperature of the coating liquid adsorbed and held on the outer periphery of the substrate W on the plate member 131 to a greater extent.

[0128] Figure 15 It means installed in Figure 14 A diagram showing an example of an auxiliary device for temperature adjustment on the stage assembly 130. (See diagram for example.) Figure 15 As shown, in this example, the auxiliary device 137 is positioned below the plate member 131, and further below the plate adjustment portion 132. Alternatively, the auxiliary device 137 may be positioned below the plate member 131 in a manner that surrounds the plate adjustment portion 132.

[0129] Here, the auxiliary device 137 may include, for example, a heating wire or a cooling water pipe. When a heating wire is used as the auxiliary device 137, the coating liquid on the outer periphery of the substrate W placed on the plate member 131 can be heated with a greater output. On the other hand, when a cooling water pipe is used as the auxiliary device 137, the coating liquid on the outer periphery of the substrate W placed on the plate member 131 can be cooled with a greater output.

[0130] [6] Another configuration example of the stage device 130

[0131] Figure 16 This is a top view showing another configuration example of the stage device 130. In this example, a plurality of rectangular regions ar arranged in the Y direction are provided on the plate member 131. The plurality of rectangular regions ar extend along the X direction. The length of each region ar in the X direction is longer than the diameter of the substrate W.

[0132] A plate adjustment section 132 is provided at the lower part of the plate component 131. In this example, the plate adjustment section 132 includes a temperature adjustment component 138 corresponding to each region ar, a temperature sensor ts corresponding to each region ar, and a cooling plate (not shown). The temperature adjustment component 138 is, for example, a heating wire.

[0133] In this example, multiple temperature adjustment components 138 are driven based on the temperature detected by temperature sensors ts located in each region ar. At this time, the set temperature of each temperature adjustment component 138 is determined by setting a temperature gradient in the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction (X direction) of the nozzle device 150 (Y direction). Thus, the film thickness of the coating liquid on the substrate W in the Y direction can be controlled.

[0134] [7] Control system of coating apparatus 100

[0135] Figure 17 This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the coating apparatus 100. The control unit 110 includes a CPU, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), and storage devices. RAM serves as the working area of ​​the CPU. The CPU controls the operation of each part of the coating apparatus 100 by executing the coating processing program stored in the storage devices on the RAM.

[0136] The control unit 110 controls the pin lifting drive unit 134, the suction drive unit 135, the X-direction drive unit 141, the Z-direction drive unit 142, and the liquid supply unit 143. Thus, the pin lifting drive unit 134 moves multiple support pins 133 up and down, for example, when the substrate W is moved in and out of the coating apparatus 100. The suction drive unit 135 holds the substrate W adsorbed and held on the plate member 131.

[0137] The X-direction drive unit 141 moves the nozzle assembly 150 in the X direction. The Z-direction drive unit 142 moves the nozzle assembly 150 in the Z direction. The liquid supply unit 143 supplies coating liquid to the nozzle block 151 of the nozzle assembly 150.

[0138] In the control unit 110, the following information is pre-stored as nozzle temperature information, which indicates the temperature of the coating liquid to be sprayed onto the annular region RR of the substrate W (first temperature) and the temperature of the coating liquid to be sprayed onto the central region IR of the substrate W (second temperature). The control unit 110 controls the drive circuit 152c based on the nozzle temperature information and the temperature detected by the multiple temperature sensors ts of the nozzle adjustment unit 152. Thus, during the coating process of the substrate W, the thermoelectric elements e1 to e10 heat up at a temperature corresponding to either the first or the second temperature.

[0139] In the control unit 110, the following information is pre-stored as board temperature information, which includes target temperatures that should be adjusted for each of the multiple regions ar of the board component 131. The control unit 110 controls the drive circuit 132c based on the board temperature information and the temperatures detected by the multiple temperature sensors ts of the board adjustment unit 132. As a result, during the coating process of the substrate W, the multiple thermoelectric elements te generate heat at the target temperature of the region ar corresponding to each thermoelectric element te.

[0140] [8] Composition and basic operation of liquid film drying device 200

[0141] Figure 18 yes Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of the liquid film drying device 200. (See attached image.) Figure 18 As shown, the liquid film drying apparatus 200 mainly includes a control unit 210, a base component 220, a platform device 230, a cover component 240, and a cover lifting device 250, all housed in a housing not shown.

[0142] Control Unit 210 Response From Figure 1 The control unit 500 controls the operation of each part of the liquid film drying apparatus 200 via command signals. Details of the control unit 210 will be described below. A base component 220 is provided on the bottom surface of a housing (not shown). A stage device 230 is provided on the base component 220. The substrate W, which is transferred into the liquid film drying apparatus 200, is placed on the stage device 230. Details of the stage device 230 will be described below.

[0143] The cover component 240 is supported above the base component 220 in a manner that allows it to move vertically using the cover lifting device 250. The cover component 240 has an internal space IS that can accommodate the platform device 230 and opens downwards. Furthermore, the base component 220 and the cover component 240 have opposing abutment surfaces 220s and 240s in the vertical direction. The abutment surfaces 220s and 240s are formed to surround the platform device 230 when viewed from above. At least one of the abutment surfaces 220s and 240s is provided with a sealing member (not shown) such as an O-ring.

[0144] The cover lifting device 250 includes, for example, an actuator such as a motor or cylinder, which moves the cover member 240 vertically under the control of the control unit 210. Thus, when the cover member 240 descends and the contact surfaces 220s and 240s of the base member 220 and the cover member 240 contact each other, the internal space IS of the cover member 240 becomes airtight, as the stage device 230 is housed within it. Conversely, when the cover member 240 rises and the contact surfaces 220s and 240s of the base member 220 and the cover member 240 separate, the internal space IS of the cover member 240 becomes open, allowing access from the outside relative to the stage device 230. In this way, in the liquid film drying apparatus 200, the base member 220 and the cover member 240 constitute a chamber CH.

[0145] The stage assembly 230 includes a plate component 231, a plate adjustment section 232, multiple support pins 233, a pin lifting drive section 234, and a pressure reducing device 235. The plate component 231 has a configuration substantially the same as that of the plate component 131 of the coating apparatus 100. The difference between the plate component 231 and the plate component 131 is that the plate component 231 does not have multiple air inlets; multiple support plates (not shown) for supporting the substrate W are provided on the upper surface of the plate component 231. These support plates may be, for example, hemispherical proximity spheres made of ceramic. Alternatively, the plate component 231 may not be made of stone, but rather of metal or resin.

[0146] In the platform device 230, a plate adjustment part 232, multiple support pins 233, a pin lifting drive part 234 and a pressure reducing device 235 are provided at the lower part of the plate component 231.

[0147] Multiple support pins 233 are supported by a pin lifting drive unit 234 in a manner that extends vertically and overlaps with multiple pin insertion holes provided in the substrate mounting portion when viewed from above. The pin lifting drive unit 234 moves the multiple support pins 233 in the vertical direction under the control of the control unit 210. As a result, the upper ends of the multiple support pins 233 move between a pin-raised position higher than the plate member 231 and a pin-lowered position lower than the plate member 231.

[0148] Therefore, when the substrate W is moved into the liquid film drying apparatus 200, with the upper ends of the multiple support pins 233 in the pin-raised position, Figure 1 The substrate W, transported by the conveying device 400, is delivered onto the multiple support pins 233. Furthermore, when the substrate W is removed from the liquid film drying device 200, with the upper ends of the multiple support pins 233 in the raised position, it is... Figure 1 The conveying device 400 receives the substrate W supported on a plurality of support pins 233. Furthermore, when the substrate W is dried in the liquid film drying device 200, the substrate W is supported on the substrate mounting portion of the plate member 231 with the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 233 in the pin-down position.

[0149] In the plate component 231 of the liquid film drying apparatus 200, similar to the plate component 131 of the coating apparatus 100, multiple regions ar are provided in the substrate mounting portion. Figure 18 In the prompt box, multiple regions ar set in the plate component 231 are shown. The plate adjustment section 232 of the liquid film drying device 200 has the same structure as the plate adjustment section 132 of the coating device 100. Like the plate adjustment section 132, the temperature of the multiple regions ar of the plate component 231 is adjusted according to the control of the control section 210.

[0150] Specifically, the drive circuit 132c of the plurality of thermoelectric elements te in the control board adjustment unit 232 is configured such that the temperature of the coating liquid located at the outer periphery of the substrate W is not significantly lower than the temperature of the coating liquid located at the center of the substrate W. Alternatively, the drive circuit 132c of the plurality of thermoelectric elements te in the control board adjustment unit 232 is configured such that the temperature of the coating liquid located at the outer periphery of the substrate W is the same as or higher than the temperature of the coating liquid located at the center of the substrate W.

[0151] In this case, the situation where the viscosity of the coating liquid located at the outer periphery of the substrate W is significantly lower than the viscosity of the coating liquid located at the center of the substrate W is suppressed. As a result, the situation where the thickness of the coating film FF formed at the outer periphery of the substrate W is greater than the thickness of the coating film FF formed at the center of the substrate W is suppressed.

[0152] The pressure reducing device 235 includes a vacuum pump, valves, and multiple pipes, and is configured to adjust the pressure of the internal space IS when the cover component 240 is in contact with the base component 220, i.e., when the chamber CH is closed. The pressure reducing device 235 may also be installed separately from the stage device 230 on the base component 220.

[0153] Specifically, the pressure reduction device 235, with the substrate W containing the coating liquid film placed on the plate component 231 and the chamber CH closed, evacuates the ambient gas from the internal space IS to reduce the absolute pressure of the internal space IS to below 100 Pa. This promotes the evaporation of the coating liquid on the substrate W, causing the liquid film on the substrate W to dry and form a coating film FF.

[0154] Furthermore, at the end of the drying process of the substrate W, the depressurization device 235 introduces inert gas (not shown) supplied by an inert gas supply unit into the internal space IS to restore the depressurized internal space IS to atmospheric pressure. This opens the chamber CH, allowing the substrate W with the coated film FF to be removed from the liquid film drying apparatus 200.

[0155] [9] Control system of liquid film drying device 200

[0156] Figure 19 This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the liquid film drying apparatus 200. The control unit 210 includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, and a storage device. The RAM serves as the working area of ​​the CPU. The CPU controls the operation of each part of the liquid film drying apparatus 200 by executing the drying process program stored in the storage device on the RAM.

[0157] The control unit 210 controls the pin lifting drive unit 234, the pressure reducing device 235, the cover lifting device 250, and the plate adjustment unit 232. Thus, the pin lifting drive unit 234 moves multiple support pins 233 up and down, for example, when the substrate W is moved in and out of the liquid film drying apparatus 200. The pressure reducing device 235 depressurizes the internal space IS of the cover member 240 from atmospheric pressure when the chamber CH is closed. Alternatively, the pressure reducing device 235 restores the internal space IS of the cover member 240 from the depressurized state to atmospheric pressure when the chamber CH is closed.

[0158] In the control unit 210, the following information is pre-stored as board temperature information, which includes target temperatures that should be adjusted for each of the multiple regions ar of the board component 231. The control unit 210 controls the drive circuit 132c based on the board temperature information and the temperatures detected by the multiple temperature sensors ts of the board adjustment unit 232. As a result, during the coating process of the substrate W, the multiple thermoelectric elements te generate heat at the target temperature of the region ar corresponding to each thermoelectric element te.

[0159]

[10] Effect

[0160] (1) In the coating apparatus 100, with the substrate W held on the plate member 131, the nozzle device 150 moves on the plate member 131. At this time, coating liquid is sprayed from the slit-shaped nozzle outlet 14 of the nozzle device 150 onto the upper surface of the substrate W. As a result, a film of coating liquid is formed on the entire upper surface of the substrate W. According to this method of forming a film of coating liquid (slit coating), the generation of uneven coating can be suppressed.

[0161] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the temperature of the coating liquid supplied before or after the substrate W is adjusted according to its position on the substrate W. Specifically, in the nozzle device 150 of the coating apparatus 100, when the nozzle device 150 moves, the temperature of the coating liquid guided to multiple portions of the nozzle at the nozzle outlet 14 is adjusted according to its position on the substrate W. This allows appropriate amounts of coating liquid to be supplied to each of the multiple portions of the substrate W, thereby homogenizing the coating film FF.

[0162] Furthermore, in the stage device 130 of the coating apparatus 100, with the substrate W placed on the plate member 131, the temperature of each of the multiple regions ar of the plate member 131 is adjusted to an appropriate temperature to homogenize the coating film FF. Similarly, in the stage device 230 of the liquid film drying apparatus 200, with the substrate W placed on the plate member 231, the temperature of each of the multiple regions ar of the plate member 231 is adjusted to an appropriate temperature to homogenize the coating film FF. The result is that the thickness of the coating film FF formed on the substrate W is made uniform.

[0163] (2) As described above, in the radial direction of the substrate W mounted on the plate components 131 and 231, the dimensions of each of the plurality of regions ar that overlap with the outer periphery of the substrate W are smaller than the dimensions of each of the plurality of regions ar that overlap with the central portion of the substrate W. In this case, the temperature of the coating liquid located on the outer periphery of the substrate W can be adjusted with higher precision compared to the temperature of the coating liquid located on the central portion of the substrate W.

[0164]

[11] Other implementation methods

[0165] (1) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the above embodiment, the nozzle adjustment section 152 may not be provided in the nozzle device 150 of the coating apparatus 100. Furthermore, the liquid film drying device 200 may not be provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1. In this case, by adjusting the temperature of the coating liquid on the substrate W using the plate adjustment section 132 in the coating apparatus 100, the unevenness of the liquid film thickness of the coating liquid on the substrate W can be reduced. Therefore, the thickness of the coating film FF is made uniform.

[0166] (2) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the above embodiment, the stage device 130 of the coating apparatus 100 may not have a plate adjustment section 132. Furthermore, the liquid film drying device 200 may not be provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1. In this case, by adjusting the temperature of the coating liquid using the nozzle adjustment section 152 in the coating apparatus 100, the unevenness of the liquid film thickness on the substrate W can be reduced. Therefore, the thickness of the coating film FF is made uniform.

[0167] (3) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the above embodiment, the nozzle adjustment section 152 may not be provided in the nozzle device 150 of the coating apparatus 100. Furthermore, the plate adjustment section 132 may not be provided in the stage device 130 of the coating apparatus 100. In this case, by adjusting the temperature of the coating liquid on the substrate W using the plate adjustment section 232 in the liquid film drying apparatus 200, the unevenness of the liquid film thickness on the substrate W can be reduced. Therefore, the thickness of the coating film FF is made uniform.

[0168] (4) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the above embodiment, the coating apparatus 100 may not be provided. In this case, by adjusting the temperature of the coating liquid on the substrate W using the plate adjustment unit 232 in the liquid film drying apparatus 200, the unevenness of the liquid film thickness on the substrate W can be reduced. Therefore, the thickness of the coating film FF is made uniform.

[0169]

[12] Correspondence between the constituent elements of the claims and the constituent elements of the embodiments

[0170] Hereinafter, examples of the correspondence between the constituent elements of the claims and the constituent elements of the embodiments will be described, but the present invention is not limited to the examples described below. Various other elements having the structure or function described in the claims may also be used as constituent elements of the claims.

[0171] In the embodiment described above, the plate component 131 is an example of a first plate component, the stage device 130 is an example of a first substrate holding part, the nozzle 14 is an example of a nozzle outlet, the nozzle device 150 is an example of a liquid supply part, the nozzle support 140, the X-direction drive part 141 and the Z-direction drive part 142 are examples of relative movement parts, the nozzle adjustment part 152 and the plate adjustment part 132 are examples of temperature adjustment parts, and the substrate processing apparatus 1 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus.

[0172] In addition, the coating liquid flow path 13 is an example of a coating liquid flow path, the nozzle adjustment section 152 is an example of a coating liquid adjustment section, the Y direction is an example of a first direction, the X direction is an example of a second direction, the annular region RR is an example of an annular region, the central region IR is an example of a central region, the multiple regions ar is an example of multiple regions, and the plate adjustment section 132 is an example of a first plate adjustment section.

[0173] In addition, the coating apparatus 100 is an example of a coating apparatus, the liquid film drying apparatus 200 is an example of a liquid film drying apparatus, the plate component 231 is an example of a second plate component and a plate component, the stage device 230 is an example of a second substrate holding part and a substrate holding part, the chamber CH is an example of a chamber, the pressure reducing device 235 is an example of a liquid film drying part, and the plate adjustment part 232 is an example of a second plate adjustment part and a temperature adjustment part.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a first substrate holding section having a first plate member on which a substrate is placed, holding the substrate placed on the first plate member in a predetermined fixed posture, the substrate having a peripheral portion of which at least a part is circular; a liquid supply section provided at a position higher than the first substrate holding section, having a slit-shaped discharge port, and discharging a coating liquid from the discharge port toward an upper surface of the substrate; a relative movement section relatively moving the first plate member and the liquid supply section in a manner that a film of the coating liquid is formed on the entire upper surface of the substrate held by the first substrate holding section using the coating liquid discharged from the liquid supply section; and a temperature adjustment section adjusting a temperature of at least one of the coating liquid guided to the discharge port in the liquid supply section and the coating liquid applied to the substrate, wherein the temperature adjustment section adjusts the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to at least a part of the peripheral portion of the substrate to be different from the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to a central portion of the substrate when adjusting the temperature of the coating liquid guided to the discharge port in the liquid supply section.

2. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a first substrate holding section having a first plate member on which a substrate is placed, holding the substrate placed on the first plate member in a predetermined fixed posture, the substrate having a peripheral portion of which at least a part is circular; a liquid supply section provided at a position higher than the first substrate holding section, having a slit-shaped discharge port, and discharging a coating liquid from the discharge port toward an upper surface of the substrate; a relative movement section relatively moving the first plate member and the liquid supply section in a manner that a film of the coating liquid is formed on the entire upper surface of the substrate held by the first substrate holding section using the coating liquid discharged from the liquid supply section; and a temperature adjustment section adjusting a temperature of at least one of the coating liquid guided to the discharge port in the liquid supply section and the coating liquid applied to the substrate, wherein the liquid supply section includes a coating liquid flow path guiding the coating liquid supplied from a coating liquid supply system to the discharge port, and the temperature adjustment section includes a coating liquid adjustment section adjusting the temperature of the coating liquid guided to a plurality of portions of the discharge port via the coating liquid flow path, respectively, in a manner that a flow distribution of the coating liquid discharged from the plurality of portions of the discharge port of the liquid supply section becomes a predetermined flow distribution.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the coating liquid adjustment section adjusts the temperature of the coating liquid guided to the plurality of portions of the discharge port, respectively, in a manner that the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to at least a part of the peripheral portion of the substrate is lower than the temperature of the coating liquid supplied to the central portion of the substrate.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the discharge port is arranged in a manner that extends in a first direction in the liquid supply section. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The relative movement section relatively moves the liquid supply section and the first substrate holding section in a second direction intersecting the first direction, with the substrate held in the fixed attitude by the first substrate holding section, in such a manner that the ejection port of the liquid supply section passes through a space above the substrate, In a substrate placed on the first plate member, a circular ring-shaped region of a fixed width including an outer peripheral end portion and a central region inside the circular ring-shaped region are defined, The coating liquid adjustment section, The temperature adjustment section adjusts the temperature of the coating liquid ejected from the portions of the ejection port of the liquid supply section that overlap the circular ring-shaped region of the substrate placed on the first plate member in a top view to a first temperature that is predetermined, and adjusts the temperature of the coating liquid ejected from the portions of the ejection port of the liquid supply section that do not overlap the circular ring-shaped region of the substrate placed on the first plate member in a top view to a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature, during the relative movement between the liquid supply section and the first substrate holding section achieved by the relative movement section.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first plate member has a plurality of regions, The temperature adjustment section includes a first plate adjustment section that adjusts the temperature of the plurality of regions of the first plate member respectively.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of regions of the first plate member include: a plurality of first regions that overlap at least a portion of an outer peripheral portion of a substrate placed on the first plate member; and a plurality of second regions that overlap a central portion of a substrate placed on the first plate member; and a size of each of the plurality of first regions in a radial direction of a substrate is smaller than a size of each of the plurality of second regions in the radial direction of the substrate.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first plate adjustment section adjusts the temperature of the plurality of regions of the first plate member respectively in such a manner that the temperature of the portion that overlaps at least a portion of an outer peripheral portion of a substrate placed on the first plate member is higher than the temperature of the portion that overlaps a central portion of a substrate placed on the first plate member.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: a coating device that coats a coating liquid onto a substrate; and a liquid film drying device that dries a film of the coating liquid formed on a substrate by the coating device; the coating device includes the first substrate holding section, the liquid supply section, and the relative movement section, the liquid film drying device includes: a second substrate holding section having a second plate member on which a substrate is placed, the substrate placed on the second plate member being held in a fixed attitude that is predetermined, the substrate having a film of the coating liquid formed thereon by the coating device; a chamber having an internal space in which the second substrate holding section is accommodated; and and a liquid film drying section that dries the film of the coating liquid formed on the substrate held by the second substrate holding section by reducing the pressure of the space inside the chamber in a state where the substrate is held by the second substrate holding section; the second plate member has a plurality of regions, the temperature adjustment section includes a second plate adjustment section that adjusts the temperature of each of the plurality of regions of the second plate member.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of regions of the second plate member include: a plurality of third regions that overlap at least a portion of the outer peripheral portion of the substrate placed on the second plate member; and a plurality of fourth regions that overlap the central portion of the substrate placed on the second plate member; and the size of the plurality of third regions in the radial direction of the substrate is smaller than the size of the plurality of fourth regions in the radial direction of the substrate.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second plate adjustment section adjusts the temperature of each of the plurality of regions of the second plate member in such a manner that the temperature of the portion that overlaps at least a portion of the outer peripheral portion of the substrate placed on the second plate member is higher than the temperature of the portion that overlaps the central portion of the substrate placed on the second plate member.

Images