Photoresist forming apparatus and method

Abstract

The application discloses a photoresist forming device and method, wherein the photoresist forming device comprises a rotating chuck and a heat adjusting device; the rotating chuck is used for carrying a wafer and spin-coating an initial film layer on the surface of the carried wafer; and the heat adjusting device is arranged on at least one side of the wafer and used for adjusting the heating state of the photoresist. The photoresist obtained by the application has a smooth surface, and the subsequent photoetching process and the like are carried out by using the photoresist, so that the related process control can be accurately carried out, and the quality of the corresponding process is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor technology, in particular to a photoresist forming device and method. BACKGROUND

[0002] The photoetching process is an important process in semiconductor technology. The process can transfer the pattern on the mask to the substrate under the action of light with the help of photoresist. The process of photoetching can include the following steps: first, ultraviolet light is irradiated to the surface of the substrate covered with a layer of photoresist film through the mask, causing the photoresist in the exposed area to react chemically; then, the photoresist in the exposed area or unexposed area is dissolved and removed by developing technology, so that the pattern on the mask is copied to the photoresist film; finally, the pattern is transferred to the substrate by etching technology. The quality of the photoresist plays an important role in the quality of the entire photoetching process. The inventors found in the research process that the photoresist in some processes has unevenness, which can easily affect the subsequent process control process and thus affect the quality of the photoetching process. SUMMARY

[0003] In view of this, the present application provides a photoresist forming device and method to solve the technical problem that the photoresist in some processes has unevenness, which can easily affect the subsequent process control process and thus affect the quality of the photoetching process.

[0004] The present application provides a photoresist forming device, which comprises a rotating chuck and a heat adjusting device.

[0005] The rotating chuck is used to carry a wafer and spin coat an initial film layer on the surface of the carried wafer.

[0006] The heat adjusting device is arranged on at least one side of the wafer and is used to adjust the heating state of the photoresist.

[0007] Optionally, the heat adjusting device comprises a first adjusting device above the edge of the wafer and a second adjusting device below the edge of the wafer.

[0008] Optionally, the first adjusting device and the second adjusting device are symmetrical about the wafer.

[0009] Optionally, the photoresist forming device further comprises a first light blocking plate on at least one side of the heat adjusting device; the first light blocking plate is used to block the heat generated by the heat adjusting device from being directed to the area other than the edge of the wafer.

[0010] Optionally, the photoresist forming device further comprises a baking device; the baking device is arranged directly above the rotating chuck and is used to bake the photoresist directly above the rotating chuck.

[0011] Optionally, the heat regulating device provides a first temperature environment for the edge region of the wafer, and the baking device provides a second temperature environment for the middle region of the wafer, and the photoresist reaches a uniformly heated state in the first temperature environment and the second temperature environment.

[0012] Optionally, the photoresist forming device further comprises a second light blocking plate arranged between the baking device and the rotating chuck; the second light blocking plate is used to block part of the heat entering the middle region of the photoresist.

[0013] Optionally, the heat regulating device comprises a heating module or a light emitting module.

[0014] The application further provides a photoresist forming method, which comprises:

[0015] adsorbing a wafer on the surface of a rotating chuck;

[0016] spinning an initial film layer on the surface of the adsorbed wafer, and adjusting the heating state of at least the edge region of the wafer surface to form a photoresist.

[0017] Optionally, the adjusting of the heating state of at least the edge region of the wafer surface comprises: adjusting the heating state of the upper surface edge region and the lower surface edge region of the wafer respectively, so that the edge region and the middle region of the wafer are uniformly heated.

[0018] Optionally, the heat regulating device provides a first temperature environment for the edge region of the wafer; the photoresist forming method further comprises: turning on a baking device directly above the wafer, so that the baking device provides a second temperature environment for the middle region of the wafer, and the photoresist on the surface of the wafer reaches a uniformly heated state in the first temperature environment and the second temperature environment.

[0019] Optionally, the photoresist forming method further comprises: before spinning the initial film layer, baking the wafer and adjusting the heating state of at least the edge region of the wafer, so that the whole wafer is uniformly heated.

[0020] Optionally, the photoresist forming method further comprises: before the photoresist is exposed, adjusting the heating state of at least the edge region of the wafer, so that the photoresist on the surface of the wafer is uniformly heated.

[0021] Optionally, the photoresist forming method further comprises: after the photoresist is exposed, adjusting the heating state of at least the edge region of the wafer, so that the photoresist on the surface of the wafer is uniformly heated.

[0022] The photoresist forming device and method provided by the application can bear the wafer by rotating the suction disc, set the heat adjusting device on at least one side of the wafer, adjust the heating state of the photoresist by the heat adjusting device, make the photoresist be uniformly heated in the related process, so that the initial film layer can be uniformly and stably solidified into the corresponding photoresist, and the surface of the obtained photoresist is flat. The subsequent photoetching process and the like using the photoresist can be accurately controlled, and the quality of the corresponding process is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the application, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiment description will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor on the basis of these drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 is a photoresist schematic diagram in the research process;

[0025] Figure 2 is a photoresist forming device structure schematic diagram of an embodiment of the application;

[0026] Figure 3 is a photoresist forming device structure schematic diagram of another embodiment of the application;

[0027] Figure 4 is a photoresist forming device structure schematic diagram of another embodiment of the application;

[0028] Figure 5 is a photoresist forming device structure schematic diagram of another embodiment of the application;

[0029] Figure 6 is a photoresist forming device structure schematic diagram of another embodiment of the application;

[0030] Figure 7 is a photoresist forming device structure schematic diagram of another embodiment of the application;

[0031] Figure 8a 、 Figure 8b and Figure 8c is a photoresist forming device structure schematic diagram of another embodiment of the application;

[0032] Figure 9 is a photoresist forming method flowchart schematic diagram of an embodiment of the application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The inventors have studied the formation process of photoresist, which includes forming an initial film layer such as a spin-on layer on the surface of a wafer, and curing the initial film layer by baking and / or gas purging to obtain a photoresist on the surface of the wafer. The inventors have found that the photoresist formed in the above manner has uneven edges. The specific reasons include that if the temperature of a spin chuck for carrying the wafer is higher than the ambient temperature, the photoresist directly above the spin chuck is prone to uneven heating in addition to the photoresist outside the edge of the spin chuck. These uneven heating problems are prone to cause uneven edges of the photoresist, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the edge portion of the photoresist is lower than the middle portion, which is prone to cause poor process control in subsequent processes, thereby affecting the quality of the photolithography process. Figure 1

[0034] To solve the above problems, in the embodiments of the present application, a heat regulating device is arranged on at least one side of the wafer carried by the spin chuck, and the heat regulating device is used to regulate the heating state of the photoresist, so that the photoresist can be uniformly heated in the related process. In this way, the initial film layer can be uniformly and stably cured into the corresponding photoresist, and the obtained photoresist has a flat surface. The subsequent photolithography process using the photoresist can be accurately controlled, and the quality of the corresponding process is improved.

[0035] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work fall within the scope of the present application. In the case of no conflict, each of the following embodiments and technical features can be combined with each other.

[0036] The first aspect of the present application provides a photoresist forming device, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the photoresist forming device includes a spin chuck 110 and a heat regulating device 130. Figure 2 Figure 3 The spin chuck 110 is used to carry a wafer 120 and spin an initial film layer on the surface of the wafer 120. The initial film layer is used to form a photoresist.

[0037] The heat regulating device 130 is arranged on at least one side of the wafer 120, and the heat regulating device 130 is used to regulate the heating state of the photoresist, so that the photoresist can be uniformly heated in the related process. In this way, the initial film layer can be uniformly and stably cured into the corresponding photoresist, and the obtained photoresist has a flat surface. The subsequent photolithography process using the photoresist can be accurately controlled, and the quality of the corresponding process is improved.

[0038] The heat regulating device 130 is arranged on at least one side of the wafer 120, and the heat regulating device 130 is used to regulate the heating state of the photoresist, so that the photoresist can be uniformly heated in the related process. In this way, the initial film layer can be uniformly and stably cured into the corresponding photoresist, and the obtained photoresist has a flat surface. The subsequent photolithography process using the photoresist can be accurately controlled, and the quality of the corresponding process is improved. Figure 4 ​​​

[0039] The photoresist forming device, by rotating the chuck 110 to carry the wafer 120, sets the heat adjusting device 130 on at least one side of the wafer 120, adjusts the heating state of the photoresist by the heat adjusting device 130, so that the photoresist can be uniformly heated in the related process, so that the initial film layer can be uniformly and stably solidified into the corresponding photoresist, and the final photoresist surface is flat. The subsequent photoetching process using the above photoresist can accurately control the related process and improve the quality of the corresponding process.

[0040] In one embodiment, the setting features of the heat adjusting device 130 can be set according to the heating state adjustment requirements of the photoresist and the like. Optionally, as shown in Figure 2 The heat adjusting device 130 can be arranged on the upper side of the wafer 120, so that the structure of the photoresist forming device is relatively simple. Optionally, the heat adjusting device 130 can also be arranged on the upper and lower sides of the wafer 120, as shown in Figure 3 The heat adjusting device 130 includes a first adjusting device 131 located above the edge of the wafer 120 and a second adjusting device 132 located below the edge of the wafer 120. This setting feature can adjust the heating state of the photoresist from the upper and lower sides of the wafer 120 respectively, and improve the heat adjusting ability of the heat adjusting device 130.

[0041] Optionally, as shown in Figure 3 The first adjusting device 131 and the second adjusting device 132 are symmetrical about the wafer 120, so that the heating state of the surface film layer of the wafer 120 can be more accurately adjusted, and the quality of the obtained photoresist is further improved.

[0042] In one example, referring to Figure 5 The photoresist forming device further includes a first light shielding plate 160 on at least one side of the heat adjusting device 130. The first light shielding plate 160 is used to block the heat generated by the heat adjusting device 130 from being directed to the area other than the edge of the wafer 120, that is, to block the heat generated by the heat adjusting device 130 from being directed to the middle area of the wafer 120, so as to avoid the heat generated by the heat adjusting device 130 from interfering with other process, so that each process can be independent of each other, and the quality of each process can be guaranteed.

[0043] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 6 The photoresist forming device further includes a baking device 150 arranged directly above the rotating chuck 110, which is used to bake the photoresist 140 directly above the rotating chuck 110, so that the photoresist 140 can be baked during the process of forming, exposing and / or developing.

[0044] In one example, the heat regulating device 130 provides a first temperature environment for the edge region of the wafer 120, the baking device 150 provides a second temperature environment for the middle region of the wafer 120, and the photoresist 140 is heated uniformly in the first and second temperature environments, so that the initial film layer can be solidified more stably and the photoresist 140 can be flat. The edge region of the wafer 120 includes the region heated by the heat regulating device 130, and the middle region of the wafer 120 includes the region inside the edge region.

[0045] In one example, referring to Figure 7 The photoresist forming device further includes a second light blocking plate 170 arranged between the baking device 150 and the rotating chuck 110. The second light blocking plate 170 is used to block part of the heat entering the middle region of the photoresist 140, so that the middle region and the edge region of the photoresist 140 are heated uniformly, and the ability to adjust the heating state of each region of the photoresist 140 is further improved.

[0046] In one embodiment, the type of the heat regulating device 130 can be determined according to the heating needs of the wafer 120 and the film layer on the surface of the wafer 120. In one example, the heat regulating device 130 can include a heating module, which can emit heat to the edge region of the wafer 120 to adjust the heating state of the edge region of the wafer 120. In another example, the heat regulating device 130 can include a light emitting module, which can emit light to the edge region of the wafer 120, and the light can be used to adjust the heating state of the edge region of the wafer 120.

[0047] In one example, the light emitting module can be arranged on at least one of the upper and lower sides of the wafer. Alternatively, referring to Figure 8a The upper side of the wafer 120 can be provided with a light emitting module 130a to emit light to the edge region of the upper surface of the wafer 120. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 8b The upper and lower sides of the wafer 120 can be respectively provided with light emitting modules, such as a light emitting module 131a arranged on the upper side of the wafer 120 to emit light to the edge region of the upper surface of the wafer 120, and a light emitting module 132a arranged on the lower side of the wafer 120 to emit light to the edge region of the bottom surface of the wafer 120.

[0048] Alternatively, the two sides of the light emitting module can be respectively provided with first light blocking plates to block the light emitted by the light emitting module from being directed to regions other than the edge of the wafer 120. For example, referring to Figure 8c The two sides of the light emitting module 131a can be provided with first light blocking plates 161, and the two sides of the light emitting module 132a can be provided with first light blocking plates 162.

[0049] The photoresist forming device can carry the wafer 120 by the rotating chuck 110, set the heat adjusting device 130 on at least one side of the wafer 120, adjust the heating state of the photoresist by the heat adjusting device 130, make the photoresist be uniformly heated in the related process, and make the initial film layer be uniformly and stably solidified into the corresponding photoresist, so that the photoresist surface is flat, and the subsequent photoetching and other processes using the photoresist can be accurately controlled, and the quality of the corresponding process is improved.

[0050] The second aspect of the present application provides a photoresist forming method, which can be applied to the photoresist forming device of any of the above embodiments. Referring to Figure 9 The photoresist forming method includes steps S210 and S220.

[0051] S210, adsorbs the wafer 20 on the surface of the rotating chuck 10.

[0052] S210, rotates the initial film layer on the surface of the adsorbed wafer 120, and adjusts the heating state of at least the edge region of the wafer 20 to form a photoresist.

[0053] Specifically, the step S210 can adjust the heating state of at least the edge region of the photoresist surface by the heat adjusting device 130, so that the photoresist can be uniformly heated in the related process, and the initial film layer can be uniformly and stably solidified into the corresponding photoresist. At this time, the photoresist 140 as shown in Figure 4 The photoresist 140 has a flat surface, and the subsequent photoetching and other processes using the photoresist 140 can be accurately controlled, and the quality of the corresponding process is improved.

[0054] In one embodiment, the adjusting of the heating state of at least the edge region of the wafer includes respectively adjusting the heating state of the upper surface edge region and the lower surface edge region of the wafer 120, so that the edge region and the middle region of the wafer 120 are uniformly heated. Specifically, the first adjusting device 131 can be arranged above the edge of the wafer 120, and the second adjusting device 132 can be arranged below the edge of the wafer 120. The heating state of the upper surface edge region of the wafer 120 is adjusted by the first adjusting device 131, and the heating state of the lower surface edge region of the wafer 120 is adjusted by the second adjusting device 132, so that the edge region and the middle region of each surface of the wafer 120 are uniformly heated, and the surface of the finally formed photoresist is flat.

[0055] In one embodiment, the heat adjusting device provides a first temperature environment for the edge region of the wafer.

[0056] The photoresist forming method further comprises: turning on the baking device 150 directly above the wafer 120 to provide a second temperature environment for the middle region of the wafer 120, and the photoresist 140 on the surface of the wafer 120 is in a uniformly heated state in the first temperature environment and the second temperature environment, thereby improving the process quality of the photoresist 140 and related film layers, for example, the initial film layer can be more stably solidified in the uniformly heated state, and the surface of the photoresist 140 obtained is more flat.

[0057] In one embodiment, the photoresist forming method further comprises: baking the wafer 120 before spin-coating the initial film layer, and at least adjusting the heating state of the edge region of the wafer 120 to uniformly heat the entire wafer 120, so that the initial film layer can be in a uniformly heated state after the initial film layer is coated on the surface of the wafer 120, and the solidification effect of the initial film layer can be improved, thereby improving the quality of the photoresist formed.

[0058] In one embodiment, the photoresist forming method further comprises: at least adjusting the heating state of the edge region of the wafer before the photoresist exposure, so that the photoresist on the surface of the wafer is uniformly heated, and the temperature environment during the photoresist exposure is relatively stable, thereby improving the quality of the exposure process.

[0059] In one embodiment, the photoresist forming method further comprises: at least adjusting the heating state of the edge region of the wafer after the photoresist exposure, so that the photoresist on the surface of the wafer is uniformly heated, and the temperature environment during the processes after the photoresist exposure is relatively stable, thereby improving the quality of the corresponding processes.

[0060] The photoresist forming method described above can be applied to the photoresist forming device described in any of the embodiments described above, and has all the beneficial effects of the photoresist forming device described in any of the embodiments described above, which will not be described here.

[0061] Although the present application has been shown and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art based on the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. The present application includes all such modifications and alterations and is limited only by the scope of the following claims. In particular, with respect to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies), the terms (functionality) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component (or components) which performs the specified function (e.g., that is functionally equivalent), even if the component is not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the exemplary implementations illustrated herein. The broadest scope of the appended claims is herein, therefore, expressly intended to include all such equivalent variations and modifications.

[0062] That is, the above merely describes the embodiments of the present application, and does not limit the patent scope of the present application, and any equivalent structure or equivalent process conversion using the content of the present application specification and drawings, such as the mutual combination of technical features between embodiments, or direct or indirect application in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

[0063] In addition, the terms "first", "second", are used only for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more, unless otherwise specifically limited.

[0064] The above description is given for enabling any person skilled in the art to carry out and use the present application. In the above description, various details are listed for the purpose of explanation. It should be understood that a person skilled in the art can realize the present application without using these specific details. In other embodiments, well-known processes will not be described in detail to avoid unnecessary details making the description of the present application obscure. Therefore, the present application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is consistent with the broadest scope in accordance with the principles and characteristics disclosed in the present application.

Claims

1. A photoresist forming apparatus characterized by comprising: The photoresist forming device comprises a rotating chuck and a heat adjusting device; The rotating chuck is used to carry a wafer and spin coat an initial film layer on the surface of the carried wafer; The heat adjusting device is arranged on at least one side of the wafer and is used to adjust the heating state of the photoresist; The heat adjusting device comprises a first adjusting device arranged above the edge of the wafer and a second adjusting device arranged below the edge of the wafer; The photoresist forming device further comprises a first light shielding plate arranged on at least one side of the heat adjusting device; the first light shielding plate is used to block the heat generated by the heat adjusting device from being directed to the area other than the edge of the wafer; The photoresist forming device further comprises a baking device arranged directly above the rotating chuck and used to bake the photoresist directly above the rotating chuck; The heat adjusting device provides a first temperature environment for the edge area of the wafer, the baking device provides a second temperature environment for the middle area of the wafer, and the photoresist reaches a uniformly heated state in the first temperature environment and the second temperature environment.

2. The photoresist forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein The first adjusting device and the second adjusting device are symmetrical about the wafer.

3. The photoresist forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein The photoresist forming device further comprises a second light shielding plate arranged between the baking device and the rotating chuck; The second light shielding plate is used to block part of the heat from entering the middle area of the photoresist.

4. The photoresist forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein The heat adjusting device comprises a heating module or a light emitting module.

5. A photoresist forming method characterized by comprising: The photoresist forming method is applied to the photoresist forming device of any one of claims 1 to 4; The photoresist forming method comprises: adsorbing a wafer on the surface of a rotating chuck; spin coating an initial film layer on the surface of the adsorbed wafer and adjusting the heating state of at least the edge area of the wafer surface to form a photoresist; The heat adjusting device provides a first temperature environment for the edge area of the wafer; The photoresist forming method further comprises: turning on a baking device directly above the wafer to make the baking device provide a second temperature environment for the middle area of the wafer, and the photoresist on the surface of the wafer reaches a uniformly heated state in the first temperature environment and the second temperature environment.

6. The photoresist forming process according to claim 5, wherein The adjusting of the heating state of at least the edge area of the wafer surface comprises: respectively adjusting the heating state of the upper surface edge area and the lower surface edge area of the wafer to make the edge area and the middle area of the wafer uniformly heated.

7. The photoresist forming process according to claim 5, wherein The photoresist forming method further comprises: before spin coating the initial film layer, baking the wafer and adjusting at least the heating state of the edge area of the wafer to make the whole wafer uniformly heated.

8. The photoresist forming process of claim 5, wherein The photoresist forming method further comprises: before the photoresist is exposed, adjusting at least the heating state of the edge area of the wafer to make the photoresist on the surface of the wafer uniformly heated.

9. The photoresist forming process of claim 5, wherein The photoresist forming method further comprises: after the photoresist is exposed, adjusting at least the heating state of the edge area of the wafer to make the photoresist on the surface of the wafer uniformly heated.

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