Exposure device

Abstract

The exposure device has a cylindrical peripheral wall member. The peripheral wall member forms a processing space capable of accommodating a substrate and has an upper opening and a lower opening. In addition, the upper part of the peripheral wall component is provided with a light emitting part in a manner of covering the upper opening. A lower cover member is provided below the peripheral wall member, and the lower cover member is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction and capable of closing and opening the lower opening. In a state in which the substrate is accommodated in the processing space and the lower opening is closed by the lower cover member, the ambient gas in the processing space is replaced with an inert gas. In the state, the vacuum ultraviolet rays are emitted to the substrate from the light emitting part, and the substrate is exposed.

Description

[0001] Information about divisional applications

[0002] This application is a divisional application. The parent application is an invention patent application filed on September 14, 2020, with application number 202010960098.0 and the title of invention being “Exposure Device.” Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to an exposure device for performing exposure treatment on a substrate by using vacuum ultraviolet rays. Background Art

[0004] Vacuum ultraviolet light is sometimes used to modify a film formed on a substrate. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-159828 describes an exposure device that uses vacuum ultraviolet light to expose a film containing a directed self-assembly (DSA) material on a substrate.

[0005] The exposure apparatus includes a processing chamber, a light projection unit, and a sealing unit. The processing chamber has an upper opening and an interior space. The light projection unit is positioned above the processing chamber, covering the upper opening. A transfer opening for transferring substrates between the interior and exterior of the processing chamber is formed on the side of the processing chamber. The sealing unit is configured to open and close the transfer opening using a shutter.

[0006] During the exposure process of a substrate, first, the transfer opening is opened, and the substrate is moved into the processing chamber through the transfer opening. Next, with the substrate positioned inside the processing chamber, the transfer opening is closed, thereby sealing the interior space of the processing chamber. Furthermore, to reduce the attenuation of vacuum ultraviolet rays that irradiate the substrate due to oxygen, the ambient air in the processing chamber is replaced with an inert gas. When the oxygen concentration in the processing chamber drops to a predetermined concentration, vacuum ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the substrate through the upper opening of the processing chamber. This allows the film on the substrate to be modified. Then, the transfer opening is opened again, and the exposed substrate is moved out of the processing chamber. Summary of the Invention

[0007] As described above, in the exposure apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-159828, the ambient air in the processing chamber must be replaced with an inert gas until the oxygen concentration in the processing chamber reaches a predetermined concentration each time a substrate is exposed. In this case, to improve the efficiency of the exposure process, it is desirable to shorten the time required to replace the ambient air in the processing chamber.

[0008] Furthermore, as described, the exposure apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-159828 uses a low-oxygen atmosphere for exposure processing. Therefore, the atmosphere in the entire exposure processing chamber is replaced with an inert gas. However, this requires a long time to evenly replace the inert gas. Uneven replacement of the inert gas reduces the accuracy of the exposure process. Furthermore, prolonged replacement of the inert gas reduces the efficiency of the exposure process.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus capable of improving the efficiency of an exposure process without reducing the cleanliness of a substrate with a simple and compact structure.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide an exposure device that can improve the accuracy and efficiency of exposure processing.

[0011] An exposure device according to one form of the present invention performs exposure processing on a substrate having at least a portion thereof in a circular shape, and comprises: a cylindrical peripheral wall member, which forms a processing space capable of accommodating the substrate and has an upper opening and a lower opening; a light emitting portion, which is arranged above the peripheral wall member in a manner covering the upper opening of the peripheral wall member and has an emitting surface capable of emitting vacuum ultraviolet rays into the processing space; a closing member, which is arranged below the peripheral wall member so as to be movable in the up and down directions and configured to close and open the lower opening; a substrate supporting portion, which supports the substrate between the emitting surface and the closing member in a manner that the substrate and the emitting surface face each other; a supply portion, which supplies an inert gas into the processing space in a state in which the substrate is supported by the substrate supporting portion in the processing space and the lower opening is closed by the closing member; and an exhaust portion, which exhausts the ambient gas in the processing space to the outside of the processing space in a state in which the substrate is supported by the substrate supporting portion in the processing space and the lower opening is closed by the closing member.

[0012] In this exposure apparatus, a substrate is supported between the light-emitting surface and a sealing member, with the substrate facing the light-emitting surface. The lower opening of the peripheral wall member is sealed by the sealing member, and the atmosphere within the processing space is replaced with an inert gas. In this state, vacuum ultraviolet light is emitted from the light-emitting surface to the substrate, thereby exposing the substrate. During this exposure, the inert gas reduces the oxygen concentration within the processing space, thereby reducing the attenuation of the vacuum ultraviolet light emitted from the light-emitting surface to the substrate.

[0013] According to the above configuration, the peripheral wall member has a cylindrical shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate, thereby reducing the volume of the processing space. As a result, the atmosphere in the processing space can be quickly replaced with an inert gas. Therefore, the oxygen concentration in the processing space can be reduced in a short time.

[0014] Furthermore, the processing space formed by the cylindrical peripheral wall member has no corners where gas could stagnate. Therefore, when the ambient air in the processing space is replaced with inert gas, a smooth gas flow is achieved along the inner circumference of the peripheral wall member. This reduces the likelihood of particles remaining in the processing space, thereby improving the cleanliness of substrates within the processing space.

[0015] Furthermore, the closure member opens and closes the lower opening of the peripheral wall member, enabling substrates to be loaded into and unloaded from the processing space. The closure member can open and close the lower opening with a simple structure and operation by moving it vertically. Consequently, there is no need to provide a substrate loading / unloading port on the peripheral wall member, nor is there a need for a complex mechanism for opening and closing the port.

[0016] As a result, the efficiency of the exposure process can be improved with a simple and compact configuration without reducing the cleanliness of the substrate.

[0017] A first gas flow path and a second gas flow path connecting the outside of the peripheral wall component with the processing space can be formed inside the peripheral wall component. The supply part can be configured to supply inert gas into the processing space through the first gas flow path, and the exhaust part can be configured to exhaust the ambient gas in the processing space to the outside of the processing space through the second gas flow path.

[0018] In this case, there is no need to install piping, nozzles, or other components within the processing space for supplying inert gas. Furthermore, there is no need to install piping, nozzles, or other components within the processing space for exhausting the ambient gas within the processing space. This reduces the area within the processing space that obstructs gas flow, making it less likely that particles will remain within the processing space.

[0019] The first gas flow path and the second gas flow path may be respectively formed in portions of the peripheral wall member that face each other across the processing space.

[0020] In this case, a smooth gas flow is established within the processing space from the first gas flow path toward the second gas flow path. This allows for smooth replacement of the ambient air within the processing space with the inert gas, shortening the time required for ambient gas replacement. Furthermore, by suppressing turbulence within the processing space, the oxygen concentration can be maintained uniform across multiple areas within the processing space. Consequently, uniform exposure of the substrate is possible.

[0021] The closing member may have a flat upper surface facing the emission surface, and a plurality of substrate supporting portions may be mounted on the upper surface of the closing member.

[0022] In this case, since the multiple substrate supports are commonly mounted on the flat upper surface of the enclosure member, the vertical positions of the multiple substrate supports can be easily and accurately aligned when the multiple substrate supports are mounted on the enclosure member. This prevents the substrate supported by the substrate supports from tilting relative to the emission surface, thereby enabling uniform exposure of the substrate.

[0023] The exposure device may also include a plurality of support pins, each of which has a plurality of upper end portions extending in the up-down direction at a position below the processing space and capable of supporting the substrate. The closing component may have a plurality of through holes for inserting the plurality of support pins. The plurality of support pins may be arranged in the following manner, that is, when the lower opening is closed by the closing component, the upper end portions of the plurality of support pins are located below the upper ends of the plurality of substrate support portions, and when the lower opening is opened by the closing component, the upper end portions of the plurality of support pins are located above the upper ends of the plurality of substrate support portions.

[0024] In this case, when a substrate is loaded into the processing chamber, with the lower opening opened by a sealing member, the substrate is placed from outside the exposure apparatus onto the upper ends of a plurality of support pins at a position below the processing chamber. Then, when the lower opening is closed by the sealing member, the sealing member moves upward relative to the plurality of support pins, causing the upper ends of the plurality of substrate supports to move above the upper ends of the plurality of support pins. Thus, the substrate is transferred from the plurality of support pins to the plurality of substrate supports, and the substrate is supported within the processing chamber.

[0025] On the other hand, when unloading a substrate from the processing space, the sealing member moves downward relative to the support pins, causing the upper ends of the substrate supports to move below the upper ends of the support pins. This transfers the substrate from the substrate supports to the support pins, supporting the substrate below the processing space. This vertical movement of the sealing member allows substrates to be loaded and unloaded from the processing space with a simple structure and operation.

[0026] The exposure device may also include a control unit for controlling the light emitting unit and the supply unit, and the control unit can control the supply unit in the following manner, that is, from the time point when the substrate is supported by the substrate supporting unit in the processing space and the lower opening is closed by the sealing component to the predetermined first time, the inert gas is supplied into the processing space at a first flow rate, and from the time point when the first time has passed to the second time, the inert gas is supplied into the processing space at a second flow rate lower than the first flow rate; and the light emitting unit is controlled in the following manner, that is, vacuum ultraviolet rays are emitted from the exit surface to the substrate during the second time.

[0027] According to the control, after the lower opening is sealed and before substrate exposure, the inert gas can be supplied into the processing space at a relatively high first flow rate and the atmosphere in the processing space can be exhausted. Thus, most of the atmosphere in the processing space can be replaced with the inert gas in a short time.

[0028] Then, during substrate exposure, an inert gas is supplied into the processing space at a lower second flow rate, and the ambient gas in the processing space is exhausted. In this case, the gas flow generated in the processing space is reduced. This prevents particles remaining in the processing space during substrate exposure from being dispersed by the inert gas flow. Consequently, processing defects caused by particles scattering within the processing space during substrate exposure can be prevented.

[0029] Another form of an exposure device of the present invention performs exposure processing on a substrate, and includes: a peripheral wall component, which forms a processing space capable of accommodating a substrate and has an upper opening; a light emitting portion, which covers the upper opening and has an emitting surface capable of emitting vacuum ultraviolet rays; and a substrate supporting portion, which supports the substrate in the processing space below the light emitting portion during exposure by the light emitting portion; the peripheral wall component has a flow path for guiding an inert gas from below to above, and an opening portion for connecting the flow path with the processing space, the opening portion has a first side surface and a second side surface opposing each other, and the distance between the first side surface and the second side surface gradually increases from the downstream end of the flow path toward the processing space, the exposure device is provided with a collision surface for the inert gas flowing out from the downstream end of the flow path to the opening portion to collide, and the collision surface is located above the substrate supported by the substrate supporting portion during exposure.

[0030] According to the above configuration, the inert gas reaches the downstream end portion through the flow path formed in the peripheral wall member. The inert gas supplied from the downstream end portion to the opening portion collides with the collision surface above the substrate and then flows into the processing space along the first side and the second side. In this case, the ambient gas between the light emitting portion and the substrate can be uniformly replaced. Moreover, there is no need to replace the ambient gas in the entire processing space. Therefore, the time required for replacement can be shortened. As a result, the efficiency and accuracy of the exposure process can be improved.

[0031] The peripheral wall member may have a cylindrical shape. In this case, the processing space formed by the cylindrical peripheral wall member has no corners where gas could stagnate. Therefore, when the ambient air in the processing space is replaced with inert gas, a smooth gas flow is achieved along the inner circumference of the peripheral wall member. This further shortens the replacement time and reduces the amount of inert gas used for replacement.

[0032] The peripheral wall member may include an exhaust portion for exhausting the ambient air from the processing space. In this case, by exhausting the ambient air from the processing space using the exhaust portion, it is possible to more easily establish an inert gas flow within the processing chamber. This can further shorten the time required to uniformly replace the ambient air above the substrate in the processing space.

[0033] The collision surface may include a portion of the lower surface of the light-emitting portion. In this case, by using a portion of the lower surface of the light-emitting portion that covers the upper opening of the peripheral wall member as the collision surface, there is no need to provide a separate collision surface. This can reduce the manufacturing cost of the exposure apparatus.

[0034] The collision surface can be provided in the peripheral wall member. In this case, by setting a part of the peripheral wall member as the collision surface, there is no need to provide a separate collision surface. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the exposure device can be reduced.

[0035] A lower opening may be formed on the peripheral wall part, and the exposure device may also include: a closing part configured to close and open the lower opening; and a lifting drive part for controlling the closing part in the following manner, that is, the closing part moves to a first position below the lower opening when the substrate is transferred between the outside and the substrate support part, and moves to a second position to close the lower opening when the substrate is exposed.

[0036] In this case, the sealing member moves to the first position below the processing chamber when transferring a substrate. This facilitates transferring a substrate between the exterior and the substrate support. Furthermore, when exposing the substrate, the sealing member moves to the second position above the first position, making it easier to seal the lower opening.

[0037] The substrate support can be mounted on the upper surface of the enclosure. In this case, the substrate support moves vertically along with the enclosure. This allows for easy placement of a substrate from outside the exposure apparatus below the processing chamber onto the substrate support. Furthermore, during substrate exposure, the substrate support moves upward, bringing the substrate closer to the light emitting portion. This further improves the efficiency of the substrate exposure process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Figure 1 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of an exposure apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 2 Is used to illustrate Figure 1 A perspective view of the operation of some components of the exposure device,

[0040] Figure 3 Yes Figure 1 A schematic top view of some components of the exposure device,

[0041] Figure 4 1 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure apparatus of the first embodiment during exposure processing.

[0042] Figure 5 1 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure apparatus of the first embodiment during exposure processing.

[0043] Figure 6 1 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure apparatus of the first embodiment during exposure processing.

[0044] Figure 7 1 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure apparatus of the first embodiment during exposure processing.

[0045] Figure 8 1 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure apparatus of the first embodiment during exposure processing.

[0046] Figure 9 1 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure apparatus of the first embodiment during exposure processing.

[0047] Figure 10 It means to achieve Figures 4 to 9 The action of the exposure device is utilized Figure 1 A flowchart of a series of processing performed by the control unit,

[0048] Figure 11 It means to achieve Figures 4 to 9 The action of the exposure device is utilized Figure 1 Flowchart of a series of processing performed by the control unit,

[0049] Figure 12 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for replacing the atmospheric gas in a processing space.

[0050] Figure 13 is a diagram for explaining another example of a method for replacing the atmospheric gas in a processing space.

[0051] Figure 14 is a diagram for explaining another example of a method for replacing the atmospheric gas in a processing space.

[0052] Figure 15 Yes means including Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of an example of a substrate processing apparatus of an exposure apparatus,

[0053] Figure 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of an exposure apparatus according to another embodiment.

[0054] Figure 172 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of an exposure apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 18 Is used to illustrate Figure 17 A perspective view of the operation of some components of the exposure device,

[0056] Figure 19 yes Figure 17 A schematic top view of a peripheral wall component,

[0057] Figure 20 Yes Figure 19 An enlarged perspective view of the structure of the first gas flow path,

[0058] Figure 21 Yes Figure 19 An enlarged perspective view of the structure of the second gas flow path,

[0059] Figure 22 1 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure apparatus of the second embodiment during exposure processing.

[0060] Figure 23 1 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure apparatus of the second embodiment during exposure processing.

[0061] Figure 24 1 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure apparatus of the second embodiment during exposure processing.

[0062] Figure 25 1 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure apparatus of the second embodiment during exposure processing.

[0063] Figure 26 1 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure apparatus of the second embodiment during exposure processing.

[0064] Figure 27 1 is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure apparatus of the second embodiment during exposure processing.

[0065] Figure 28 : is a graph showing the comparison results of Example 1, Example 2 and Comparative Example 1,

[0066] Figure 29 It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of an exposure apparatus according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] The following describes an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, a substrate refers to an FPD (flat panel display) substrate, a semiconductor substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, a photomask substrate, a ceramic substrate, or a solar cell substrate, among others, used in liquid crystal displays or organic EL (electroluminescence) displays. Furthermore, the substrate described below is a substrate having at least a partially circular shape, such as a circular substrate having a notch or an orientation flat. Furthermore, a film modified by vacuum ultraviolet light is formed on the main surface of the substrate.

[0068] In the exposure apparatus described below, ultraviolet light (hereinafter referred to as vacuum ultraviolet light) having a wavelength of approximately 120 nm to approximately 230 nm inclusive is irradiated from above onto the principal surface of the substrate, with the principal surface of the substrate facing upward and the rear surface (the surface opposite to the principal surface) of the substrate facing downward. Therefore, in the following description, the upper surface of the substrate is referred to as the principal surface of the substrate, and the lower surface of the substrate is referred to as the rear surface of the substrate.

[0069] [A] First embodiment

[0070] [1] Structure of the exposure device

[0071] Figure 1 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of an exposure apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 Is used to illustrate Figure 1 A perspective view of the operation of some components of the exposure device 100. Figure 1 As shown, the exposure apparatus 100 includes a light emitting unit 10 , a peripheral wall member 20 , a lower cover member 30 , a substrate support mechanism 40 , a gas supply system 51 , a gas exhaust system 52 , a lifting drive unit 53 , and a control unit 60 .

[0072] In this exposure apparatus 100, a processing space 20S for performing exposure processing on a substrate W is formed by a peripheral wall member 20. Specifically, the peripheral wall member 20 has a flat cylindrical shape. The space enclosed by the inner circumference of the peripheral wall member 20 serves as the processing space 20S. Furthermore, the peripheral wall member 20 has an annular, flat upper end surface 23 and a lower end surface 24. An upper opening 21 is formed inside the upper end surface 23, and a lower opening 22 is formed inside the lower end surface 24.

[0073] The light emitting portion 10 is provided above the peripheral wall member 20 so as to cover the upper opening 21 of the peripheral wall member 20. The light emitting portion 10 includes a housing 11, a light-transmitting plate 13, a planar light source 14, and a power supply 15.

[0074] The housing 11 has a bottom wall 11a, a rectangular tube-shaped peripheral wall 11b, and a top 11c. The bottom wall 11a, the peripheral wall 11b, and the top 11c form an internal space 10S. Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , only the housing 11 in the light emitting portion 10 is shown by a single-dot chain line.

[0075] like Figure 1 As shown, a lower opening 12 is formed in the bottom wall portion 11a of the housing 11. The lower opening 12 has, for example, a circular shape. The inner diameter of the lower opening 12 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the peripheral wall member 20. A light-transmitting plate 13 is attached to the bottom wall portion 11a to close the lower opening 12. In this embodiment, the light-transmitting plate 13 is a quartz glass plate. Other materials that allow vacuum ultraviolet rays to pass through the light-transmitting plate 13 may be used.

[0076] The light source unit 14 and power supply unit 15 are housed in the interior space 10S of the housing 11. The light source unit 14 comprises a plurality of rod-shaped light source elements LE that emit vacuum ultraviolet light, arranged horizontally at predetermined intervals. Each light source element LE can be, for example, a xenon excimer lamp, another excimer lamp, or a deuterium lamp. The power supply unit 15 supplies power to the light source unit 14.

[0077] The upper end surface 23 of the peripheral wall member 20 is connected to the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 11a, with the lower surface of the light-transmitting plate 13 serving as an emission surface 13S facing the processing space 20S. With this configuration, the vacuum ultraviolet rays generated by the light source portion 14 are emitted into the processing space 20S through the emission surface 13S.

[0078] The lower cover member 30 is provided below the peripheral wall member 20 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Moreover, the lower cover member 30 is configured to be able to close and open the lower opening 22 by moving in the vertical direction. Hereinafter, the position where the lower cover member 30 closes the lower opening 22 is referred to as the cover closing position, and the position where the lower cover member 30 opens the lower opening 22 is referred to as the cover opening position. The lifting drive unit 53 includes, for example, a stepping motor such as Figure 2 As shown by the thick dotted arrow in FIG, the lower cover member 30 is moved in the up-down direction between the cover closing position and the cover opening position.

[0079] The lower cover member 30 has a flat upper surface 31 facing the light emitting surface 13S of the light emitting portion 10. Figure 1As shown, a sealing member 39 is mounted on the upper surface 31 of the lower cover member 30. When the lower cover member 30 is in the cover-closing position, the sealing member 39 is in close contact with the portion of the lower end surface 24 of the peripheral wall member 20 surrounding the lower opening 22. The sealing member 39 comprises, for example, an O-ring.

[0080] Furthermore, a plurality of (three in this example) support members 38 configured to support the lower surface of the substrate W are mounted on the upper surface 31 of the lower cover member 30. Each support member 38 is a spherical proximity ball formed of, for example, ceramic.

[0081] Furthermore, a plurality of through-holes 32 corresponding to the plurality of support pins 41 described later are formed in the center of the lower cover member 30. Furthermore, a plurality of housing tubes 33 are provided on the lower surface of the lower cover member 30, extending downward at a fixed distance from the portion where the through-holes 32 are formed. Each housing tube 33 has an inner diameter equal to that of the through-hole 32. An inwardly directed flange is formed at the lower end of the housing tube 33, extending from the inner circumference of the housing tube 33 toward the axial center thereof.

[0082] The substrate support mechanism 40 includes a plurality (three in this example) of support pins 41 and a pin-connecting member 42. Each support pin 41 includes a tip member 41a and a support shaft 41b. The support shafts 41b are arranged to extend in the vertical direction and are inserted into the through-holes 32 and the storage tubes 33 of the lower cover member 30. The pin-connecting member 42 connects the lower ends of the support shafts 41b and is fixed to the base portion (not shown) of the exposure apparatus 100. The tip members 41a are provided at the upper ends of the support shafts 41b and are formed of, for example, ceramic or resin.

[0083] When the lower cover member 30 is in the cover open position, the plurality of front end members 41a (the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 41) are located above the upper ends of the plurality of support members 38 mounted on the lower cover member 30. Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , a substrate W to be processed is supported by the plurality of front end members 41 a .

[0084] When the lower cover member 30 moves upward from the cover-open position toward the cover-closed position, the plurality of tip members 41 a of the substrate support mechanism 40 pass through the plurality of through-holes 32 of the lower cover member 30 and are accommodated within the accommodation tube 33. Therefore, when the lower cover member 30 is in the cover-closed position, the plurality of tip members 41 a (the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 41) are positioned below the upper ends of the plurality of support members 38 attached to the lower cover member 30. Consequently, the substrate W supported by the plurality of tip members 41 a is delivered to the plurality of support members 38.

[0085] Here, each front end member 41a of the substrate support mechanism 40 is formed with an outward flange having a diameter larger than that of the support shaft 41b. Seal members (not shown) are provided on the upper surface of the inward flange formed at the lower end of each of the plurality of storage tubes 33, capable of contacting the lower surface of the outward flange of the front end member 41a. These seal members include, for example, O-rings. Furthermore, when the lower cover member 30 is in the cover-closed position, each seal member blocks the flow of gas between the processing space 20S, the interior of the through-hole 32, the interior of the storage tube 33, and the exterior of the processing space 20S. This seals the processing space 20S.

[0086] Figure 1 The gas supply system 51 includes a pipe 51a, an inert gas supply source (not shown), a valve (not shown), etc. The gas exhaust system 52 includes a pipe 52a, a valve (not shown), an exhaust device (not shown), etc.

[0087] A first gas flow path 25 and a second gas flow path 26 are formed inside the peripheral wall member 20 to connect the outside of the peripheral wall member 20 with the processing space 20S. In the peripheral wall member 20, the first gas flow path 25 and the second gas flow path 26 are formed so as to face each other across the processing space 20S (see the following description). Figure 3 ).

[0088] The first and second gas flow paths 25 and 26 are each formed by a through hole formed from the outer circumference to the inner circumference of the peripheral wall member 20. A pipe 51a extending from a gas supply system 51 is connected to the first gas flow path 25. A pipe 52a extending from a gas exhaust system 52 is connected to the second gas flow path 26.

[0089] The gas supply system 51 supplies an inert gas from an inert gas supply source (not shown) into the processing space 20S via a pipe 51a and a first gas flow path 25. In this embodiment, nitrogen is used as the inert gas. The gas exhaust system 52 exhausts the atmosphere of the processing space 20S of the peripheral wall member 20 to the outside of the peripheral wall member 20 via a second gas flow path 26 and a pipe 52a.

[0090] An oxygen concentration meter 52b is provided in the pipe 52a. The oxygen concentration meter 52b measures the oxygen concentration of the gas flowing through the pipe 52a as the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S and provides the measured oxygen concentration to the control unit 60 at a specific period. The oxygen concentration meter 52b is, for example, a galvanic cell oxygen sensor or a zirconia oxygen sensor.

[0091] The control unit 60 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The memory of the control unit 60 stores various control programs. The control programs stored in the memory are executed by the CPU of the control unit 60, such as Figure 1 As shown by the single-dot chain arrow in , the operation of each component in the exposure device 100 is controlled.

[0092] Figure 3 Yes Figure 1 A schematic top view of some components of the exposure device 100. Figure 3 In FIG. 1 , the outer shape of the housing 11 of the light emitting portion 10 and the lower opening 12 are indicated by a single dot-dash line. Figure 3 In the figure, in order to facilitate understanding of the positional and dimensional relationship between the substrate W accommodated in the processing space 20S and the peripheral wall member 20 , the substrate W is given a dot pattern and the peripheral wall member 20 is given a hatching.

[0093] like Figure 3 As shown, when the exposure process is performed, the substrate support mechanism 40 ( Figure 1 ) to support the substrate W. In this state, the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall member 20 faces the outer peripheral end of the substrate W. Moreover, the distance between the outer peripheral end of the substrate W and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall member 20 is kept substantially constant.

[0094] and, Figure 3 In FIG. 3 , three through holes 32 formed in the lower cover member 30 and three support members 38 mounted on the lower cover member 30 are indicated by dotted lines. Figure 3 As shown, the three through-holes 32 are formed at equal intervals on a first imaginary circle cr1, which is referenced to the center 30C of the lower cover member 30 when viewed from above. Meanwhile, the three support members 38 are formed at equal intervals on a second imaginary circle cr2, which is referenced to the center 30C of the lower cover member 30 when viewed from above. The second imaginary circle cr2 is larger than the first imaginary circle cr1 and is approximately half the diameter of the substrate W. Consequently, when the substrate W is supported by the three support members 38, the stability of the support of the substrate W is improved compared to when the substrate W is supported by the three through-holes 32.

[0095] Here, when the diameter D1 of the substrate W to be exposed by the exposure apparatus 100 is 300 mm, the inner diameter D2 of the peripheral wall member 20 is, for example, greater than 300 mm and less than 400 mm, preferably greater than 300 mm and less than 350 mm, and more preferably greater than 300 mm and less than 320 mm. In this example, the inner diameter D2 of the peripheral wall member 20 is 310 mm.

[0096] The thickness (height) of the peripheral wall member 20 is, for example, greater than 5 mm and less than 50 mm, and preferably greater than 5 mm and less than 20 mm. In this example, the thickness (height) of the peripheral wall member 20 is 10 mm.

[0097] [2] Basic Operation of Exposure Device 100 During Exposure Processing

[0098] As described, in the exposure device 100 of this embodiment, the substrate W to be processed is exposed by being irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of, for example, 172 nm. Here, if a large amount of oxygen is present on the path of the vacuum ultraviolet rays toward the substrate W, the oxygen molecules absorb the vacuum ultraviolet rays and separate into oxygen atoms, and the separated oxygen atoms recombine with other oxygen molecules, thereby generating ozone. In this case, the vacuum ultraviolet rays reaching the substrate W are attenuated. The attenuation of the vacuum ultraviolet rays is greater than the attenuation of ultraviolet rays having a wavelength greater than about 230 nm. Therefore, in the exposure device 100 of this embodiment, the substrate W is irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet rays in the processing space 20S where the oxygen concentration is maintained at a low level. The basic operation of the exposure device 100 during the exposure process will be described below.

[0099] Figures 4 to 9 It is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment during exposure processing. Figures 4 to 9 In the embodiment, the cover open position pa1 and the cover closed position pa2 are respectively determined by the upper surface 31 ( Figure 1 ) is indicated by its height position.

[0100] In the initial state before the power supply to the exposure device 100 is turned on, the lower cover member 30 is located at the cover closing position pa2. Figure 4 As shown by the hollow arrow a1 in FIG. 1 , the lower cover member 30 moves to the cover open position pa1 .

[0101] Next, the substrate W is carried from the outside of the exposure device 100 to the inside of the exposure device 100 in a state where the plurality of front end members 41a of the substrate support mechanism 40 are located below the peripheral wall member 20. Figure 5 As shown by the hollow arrow a2 in FIG, the substrate W transported by the transport device (not shown) is inserted from the side of the exposure device 100 into the space between the peripheral wall member 20 and the plurality of front end members 41a and is placed on the plurality of front end members 41a. In this state, the upper surface of the substrate W faces the output surface 13S of the light output section 10 across the processing space 20S. The transport device is, for example, Figure 15 The conveying device 220.

[0102] Next, if Figure 6As indicated by the hollow arrow a3 in the figure, the lower cover member 30 moves to the cover-closing position pa2. Thus, with the substrate W housed within the processing space 20S, the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 is sealed by the lower cover member 30. Furthermore, within the processing space 20S, the substrate W is supported by the plurality of support members 38. Furthermore, the lower ends of the plurality of storage tubes 33 provided in the lower cover member 30 are sealed by the plurality of front end members 41a and a sealing member (not shown). This seals the processing space 20S.

[0103] In this state, if Figure 6 As shown by the thick single-dot dash arrow in Figure 1 The gas supply system 51 supplies the inert gas into the processing space 20S via the first gas flow path 25. Furthermore, the atmosphere in the processing space 20S passes through the second gas flow path 26 and is exhausted to the outside of the exposure apparatus 100 by the gas exhaust system 52. As a result, the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is gradually replaced with the inert gas, and the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S decreases.

[0104] Then, when the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S is reduced to a predetermined concentration (hereinafter referred to as a target oxygen concentration), as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown by the thick solid arrow in FIG, the light source section 14 of the light emitting section 10 irradiates the upper surface of the substrate W through the emitting surface 13S. Here, the target oxygen concentration is set such that the concentration of ozone near the peripheral wall member 20 is lower than the pre-allowed concentration (0.1 ppm) when the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 is opened after the exposure process, for example, to 1%. Whether the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S is reduced to the target oxygen concentration can be determined based on, for example, the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S. Figure 1 The determination is made based on the signal output from the oxygen concentration meter 52b. During the period when the vacuum ultraviolet rays are irradiated on the substrate W, the replacement of the atmosphere in the processing space 20S with the inert gas may be continued or stopped.

[0105] When the exposure dose of vacuum ultraviolet rays irradiated to the substrate W (the energy of vacuum ultraviolet rays irradiated per unit area on the substrate) reaches a predetermined set exposure dose, the irradiation of the upper surface of the substrate W with vacuum ultraviolet rays is stopped. By exposing the upper surface of the substrate W in this manner, the film formed on the substrate W is modified according to the specific exposure conditions.

[0106] Here, the illuminance of the vacuum ultraviolet light irradiating the substrate W under the target oxygen concentration environment (the power of the vacuum ultraviolet light irradiated per unit area on the substrate) is known. In this case, the exposure amount of the vacuum ultraviolet light irradiating the substrate W is determined based on the illuminance of the vacuum ultraviolet light and the irradiation time of the vacuum ultraviolet light. In this embodiment, whether the exposure amount of the vacuum ultraviolet light irradiating the substrate W has reached the predetermined set exposure amount is determined by whether the time corresponding to the set exposure amount (exposure time) has elapsed since the start of the vacuum ultraviolet light irradiation.

[0107] After stopping irradiating the upper surface of the substrate W with vacuum ultraviolet rays, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown by the hollow arrow a4 in FIG, the lower cover member 30 moves to the cover open position pa1. As a result, the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 is opened, and the substrate W is taken out to the lower part of the processing space 20S while being supported by the plurality of front end members 41a.

[0108] Finally, if Figure 9 As shown by the hollow arrow a5 in FIG, the substrate W supported on the plurality of front end components 41a is received by a transport device (not shown) and carried out to the side of the exposure device 100. The transport device is, for example, Figure 15 The conveying device 220.

[0109] [3] A series of processes performed by the control unit 60 during exposure processing

[0110] Figure 10 and Figure 11 It means to achieve Figures 4 to 9 The operation of the exposure device 100 of the first embodiment is utilized Figure 1 Flowchart of a series of processing performed by the control unit 60. Figure 10 and Figure 11 The series of processes shown is started by, for example, switching the power of the exposure device 100 from the off state to the on state. First, the control unit 60 controls Figure 1 The lifting drive unit 53 moves the lower cover member 30 to the cover open position pa1 (step S1).

[0111] Next, the control unit 60 determines whether the substrate W is placed on the plurality of front end components 41a (step S2). This determination can be made based on the output from a sensor (e.g., a photoelectric sensor) provided in the exposure apparatus 100 to detect the presence or absence of the substrate W on the substrate support mechanism 40. Alternatively, the determination can be made based on an output from a control device external to the exposure apparatus 100 (e.g., a control unit described later). Figure 15 This is done by receiving a command signal from the control device 210).

[0112] When the substrate W is not placed on the plurality of tip parts 41a, the control unit 60 repeats the process of step S2 until the substrate W is placed on the tip parts 41a of the plurality of support pins 41. On the other hand, when the substrate W is placed on the plurality of tip parts 41a, the control unit 60 controls the substrate W to be placed on the tip parts 41a. Figure 1 The lifting drive unit 53 moves the lower cover member 30 to the cover closing position pa2 (step S3).

[0113] Next, the control unit 60 controls Figure 1 The gas exhaust system 52 exhausts the atmosphere in the processing space 20S of the peripheral wall member 20 (step S4). Then, the control unit 60 controls Figure 1 The gas supply system 51 supplies the inert gas into the processing space 20S of the peripheral wall member 20 (step S5). Regarding the processing of steps S4 and S5, either one of the processing may be performed first or they may be performed simultaneously.

[0114] Next, the control unit 60 is based on Figure 1 The oxygen concentration measured by the oxygen concentration meter 52b is used to determine whether the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S has dropped to the target oxygen concentration (step S6).

[0115] If the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S has not yet dropped to the target oxygen concentration, the control unit 60 repeats the process of step S6 until the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S reaches the target oxygen concentration. On the other hand, when the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S drops to the target oxygen concentration, the control unit 60 controls the processing space 20S to repeat the process of step S6. Figure 1 The light emitting portion 10 emits vacuum ultraviolet rays from the light source portion 14 toward the substrate W in the processing space 20S (step S7). Thus, the vacuum ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the substrate W, and the film formed on the substrate W is modified.

[0116] Next, the control unit 60 determines whether the set exposure time has elapsed since the light source unit 14 began emitting vacuum ultraviolet light (step S8). If the set exposure time has not yet elapsed, the control unit 60 repeats the process of step S8 until the set exposure time has elapsed. On the other hand, if the set exposure time has elapsed, the control unit 60 stops emitting vacuum ultraviolet light from the light emitting unit 10 (step S9).

[0117] Next, the control unit 60 controls Figure 1 The gas exhaust system 52 stops exhausting the atmosphere in the processing space 20S (step S10). Figure 1 The gas supply system 51 is turned off and the supply of the inert gas into the processing space 20S is stopped (step S11). Regarding the processing of steps S9, S10, and S11, any part of the processing may be performed first, or all of the processing may be performed simultaneously.

[0118] Next, the control unit 60 controls Figure 1 The lifting drive unit 53 moves the lower cover part 30 to the cover open position pa1 (step S12). Then, the control unit 60 determines whether the substrate W has been transported from the multiple front end parts 41a (step S13). Similar to the process of step S2, this determination can be made based on the output from the sensor (for example, a photoelectric sensor, etc.) that detects whether there is a substrate W on the substrate support mechanism 40, for example, provided in the exposure device 100. Alternatively, it can be made based on the control device from outside the exposure device 100 (for example, the control device described later). Figure 15 If the substrate W has not been transferred, the control unit 60 repeats the process of step S13 until the substrate W is transferred. On the other hand, if the substrate W is transferred, the control unit 60 returns to the process of step S2.

[0119] [4] Method for replacing the ambient gas in the processing space 20S

[0120] As described above, in the exposure apparatus 100 , in order to reduce the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S, the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is exhausted and an inert gas is supplied into the processing space 20S, whereby the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is replaced with the inert gas.

[0121] Figure 12 This is a diagram for explaining an example of a method of replacing the atmosphere in the processing space 20S. Figure 12 , the temporal change in the supply amount of the inert gas supplied to the processing space 20S during the exposure process is shown in the graph. In this embodiment, the supply amount and exhaust amount of the inert gas to the processing space 20S during the exposure process are the same. Figure 12 The vertical axis represents the supply amount of the inert gas, and the horizontal axis represents time.

[0122] about Figure 12 According to the time axis, at time t0, a substrate W is loaded into the exposure device 100. At time t1, the loaded substrate W is accommodated in the processing space 20S, and the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 is closed by the lower cover member 30. At time t2, irradiation of the substrate W in the processing space 20S with vacuum ultraviolet light begins. At time t3, irradiation of the substrate W in the processing space 20S with vacuum ultraviolet light stops. Furthermore, at time t4, the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 is opened.

[0123] Figure 12In the example shown in FIG, the supply (and exhaust) amount of the inert gas is maintained at 0 from time t0 to t1. Then, from time t1 to t2, the supply (and exhaust) amount of the inert gas is maintained at a relatively high value α. From time t2 to t3, the supply (and exhaust) amount of the inert gas is maintained at a value β lower than α. Then, from time t3 to t4, the supply (and exhaust) amount of the inert gas is maintained at 0.

[0124] According to this replacement method, from time t1 to time t2, before the substrate W is exposed, an inert gas is supplied into the processing space 20S at a relatively high flow rate (value α), and the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is exhausted. This allows most of the atmosphere in the processing space 20S to be replaced with the inert gas in a short period of time. In other words, the oxygen concentration can be reduced in a short period of time.

[0125] Then, during exposure of the substrate W, an inert gas is supplied into the processing space 20S at a relatively low flow rate (value β). This reduces the flow of gas generated within the processing space. This prevents particles remaining within the processing space 20S during exposure of the substrate W from being dispersed by the inert gas flow. Consequently, processing defects caused by particles dispersing within the processing space 20S during exposure of the substrate W are prevented.

[0126] Figure 13 20S is a diagram for explaining another example of a method for replacing the atmosphere in the processing space 20S. Figure 12 Similarly, Figure 13 In FIG. 1 , the temporal change in the amount of inert gas supplied to the processing space 20S during the exposure process is represented by a graph. Figure 13 The time axis, time points t0, t1, t2, t3, t4 and Figure 12 The time points t0, t1, t2, t3, and t4 are the same.

[0127] Figure 13 In the example, from time point t0 to t1, the supply amount (and exhaust amount) of the inert gas is maintained at 0. Then, from time point t1 to t3, the supply amount (and exhaust amount) of the inert gas is maintained at a relatively high value α. Then, from time point t3 to t4, the supply amount (and exhaust amount) of the inert gas is maintained at 0. According to this replacement method, while the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall part 20 is closed by the lower cover part 30, the inert gas is always supplied to the processing space 20S at a relatively high flow rate. As a result, it is easy to maintain the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S at a low state. Moreover, in this case, from time point t2 to t3, ozone generated by exposure is easily discharged from the processing space 20S. In addition, according to this replacement method, there is no need to switch the supply amount (and exhaust amount) of the inert gas to multiple values. Therefore, the structure of the gas supply system 51 and the gas exhaust system 52 can be simplified.

[0128] Figure 14 This is a diagram for explaining another example of the method of replacing the atmosphere in the processing space 20S. Figure 14 In, with Figure 12 Similarly, the temporal change in the amount of inert gas supplied to the processing space 20S during the exposure process is represented by a graph. Figure 14 The time axis, time points t0, t1, t2, t3, t4 and Figure 12 The time points t0, t1, t2, t3, and t4 are the same.

[0129] Figure 14 In the example, from time point t0 to t4, the supply rate (and exhaust rate) of the inert gas is maintained at a relatively high value α. According to this replacement method, the inert gas is also supplied to the processing space 20S during the period when the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20 is open. Therefore, at the time when the lower opening 22 is closed by the lower cover member 30, the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S is maintained at a relatively low level. As a result, after the lower opening 22 is closed by the lower cover member 30, the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S can be brought close to the target oxygen concentration in a shorter time. Moreover, the amount of ozone generated can be further suppressed.

[0130] [5] Effect

[0131] (1) In the exposure apparatus 100, the peripheral wall member 20 has a cylindrical shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate W, thereby reducing the volume of the processing space 20S. This allows the atmosphere in the processing space 20S to be quickly replaced with an inert gas. Consequently, the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S can be reduced in a short period of time.

[0132] Furthermore, the processing space 20S formed by the cylindrical peripheral wall member 20 has no corners where gas could stagnate. Therefore, when the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is replaced with inert gas, a smooth gas flow is achieved along the inner circumference of the peripheral wall member 20. This reduces the likelihood of particles remaining in the processing space 20S, thereby improving the cleanliness of the substrates W in the processing space 20S.

[0133] Furthermore, the lower cover member 30 opens and closes the lower opening 22 of the peripheral wall member 20, enabling substrates W to be loaded into and unloaded from the processing space 20S. The lower cover member 30 can open and close the lower opening 22 with a simple structure and operation by moving vertically. Therefore, there is no need to provide a substrate W loading / unloading port in the peripheral wall member 20, nor is there a need for a complex structure for opening and closing the loading / unloading port.

[0134] As a result, the efficiency of the exposure process can be improved without reducing the cleanliness of the substrate W with a simple and compact configuration.

[0135] (2) As described above, the first gas flow path 25 and the second gas flow path 26 are formed inside the peripheral wall member 20. The inert gas is directly supplied into the processing space 20S through the first gas flow path 25. Furthermore, the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is directly exhausted through the second gas flow path 26.

[0136] This configuration eliminates the need for piping, nozzles, or other components for supplying inert gas within the processing space 20S. Furthermore, there is no need for piping, nozzles, or other components for exhausting the ambient gas within the processing space 20S to the outside of the processing space 20S. Consequently, the area within the processing space 20S that obstructs gas flow is reduced, making it less likely that particles will remain within the processing space 20S.

[0137] (3) In the peripheral wall member 20, the first gas flow path 25 and the second gas flow path 26 are formed so as to face each other across the processing space 20S. In this case, a smooth gas flow is formed from the first gas flow path 25 toward the second gas flow path 26. This allows the atmosphere in the processing space 20S to be smoothly replaced with the inert gas, thereby shortening the time required for the replacement of the atmosphere. Furthermore, since turbulence in the processing space 20S is suppressed, the oxygen concentration in multiple portions of the processing space 20S can be maintained uniform. Consequently, the substrate W can be uniformly exposed.

[0138] (4) In the exposure apparatus 100, the substrate W to be processed is supported by a plurality of support members 38 while being housed in the processing space 20S. Since the plurality of support members 38 are commonly mounted on the flat upper surface 31 of the lower cover member 30, the vertical positions of the plurality of support members 38 can be easily and accurately aligned when the plurality of support members 38 are mounted on the lower cover member 30. This prevents the substrate W supported by the plurality of support members 38 from tilting relative to the exit surface 13S of the light exit section 10, thereby enabling uniform exposure of the substrate W.

[0139] (5) In the exposure apparatus 100 , the lower cover member 30 moves in the vertical direction, thereby enabling the substrate W to be loaded into and unloaded from the processing space 20S with a simple structure and operation.

[0140] [6] including Figure 1 Substrate processing apparatus of exposure apparatus 100

[0141] Figure 15 Yes means including Figure 1A schematic block diagram of an example of a substrate processing device of the exposure device 100. Figure 15 As shown, the substrate processing apparatus 200 includes, in addition to the exposure apparatus 100 , a control apparatus 210 , a conveying apparatus 220 , a heat treatment apparatus 230 , a coating apparatus 240 , and a developing apparatus 250 .

[0142] The control device 210 includes, for example, a CPU and a memory or a microcomputer, and controls the operations of the exposure device 100 , the conveying device 220 , the heat treatment device 230 , the coating device 240 , and the developing device 250 .

[0143] The transport apparatus 220 transports the substrate W between the exposure apparatus 100 , the thermal processing apparatus 230 , the coating apparatus 240 , and the developing apparatus 250 when the substrate W is processed by the substrate processing apparatus 200 .

[0144] The heat treatment apparatus 230 performs heat treatment on the substrate W before and after the coating process performed by the coating apparatus 240 and the development process performed by the development apparatus 250. The coating apparatus 240 forms a film modified by vacuum ultraviolet light on the upper surface of the substrate W by applying a specific treatment liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W. Specifically, the coating apparatus 240 in this example applies a treatment liquid containing a directed self-assembly material to the upper surface of the substrate W. In this case, a pattern of two polymers is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W due to microphase separation generated in the directed self-assembly material.

[0145] The exposure device 100 irradiates vacuum ultraviolet rays onto the upper surface of the substrate W on which a film has been formed by the coating device 240. As a result, the connection between the two polymer patterns formed on the substrate W is severed.

[0146] The developing device 250 supplies a solvent as a developing solution for removing one polymer of the two polymer patterns after exposure to the substrate W. As a result, the pattern including the other polymer remains on the substrate W.

[0147] Alternatively, the coating device 240 can apply a specific treatment liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W in such a manner that a SOC (Spin-On-Carbon) film is formed as a vacuum ultraviolet modified film instead of a film containing a directed self-assembled material. In this case, the SOC film can be modified by exposing the substrate W with the SOC film formed thereon with vacuum ultraviolet light.

[0148] When the SOC film is formed in the coating apparatus 240, a resist film may be further formed on the SOC film after the exposure process in the coating apparatus 240. In this case, the substrate W with the resist film formed thereon is exposed by the exposure apparatus provided outside the substrate processing apparatus 200, and then the developing apparatus 250 may perform a development process on the exposed substrate W.

[0149] According to the exposure apparatus 100, the efficiency of the exposure process can be improved with a simple and compact structure without reducing the cleanliness of the substrate W. Figure 15 With the substrate processing apparatus 200 , the processing accuracy of the substrate W can be improved and the manufacturing cost of the substrate W can be reduced.

[0150] [7] Other implementations

[0151] (1) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the first embodiment described above, the inert gas supplied to the first gas flow path 25 is directly supplied into the processing space 20S, and the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is directly exhausted through the second gas flow path 26. Therefore, no components such as nozzles for supplying and exhausting gas are present in the processing space 20S. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A component for controlling the flow of gas generated in the processing space 20S may also be provided in the processing space 20S.

[0152] (2) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the first embodiment, the first gas flow path 25 and the second gas flow path 26 may be formed in the lower cover member 30 instead of being formed in the peripheral wall member 20 .

[0153] (3) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the first embodiment, the substrate W accommodated in the processing space 20S is exposed while being supported by the plurality of support members 38 attached to the lower cover member 30 . However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0154] Instead of attaching a plurality of support members 38 to the lower cover member 30 , the substrate support mechanism 40 may be provided to be movable in the up-down direction. Figure 16 This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of an exposure apparatus 100 according to another embodiment. Figure 16 The exposure device 100 and Figure 1 The exposure device 100 is different.

[0155] Figure 16 In the exposure device 100, the plurality of support members 38 ( Figure 1 ) and multiple receiving tubes 33 ( Figure 1 ). On the other hand, the substrate support mechanism 40 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the base portion of the exposure device 100 in a state where the plurality of support pins 41 are respectively inserted into the plurality of through holes 32 of the lower cover member 30. Figure 16 The exposure apparatus 100 further includes a lifting drive unit 54 for moving the substrate support mechanism 40 in the vertical direction.

[0156] Here, the vertical position of the substrate support mechanism 40 when the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 41 are located in the processing space 20S is referred to as a processing position, and a position below the processing position at a fixed distance is referred to as a standby position.

[0157] The lifting drive unit 54 includes, for example, a stepping motor and is configured to move the substrate support mechanism 40 vertically between a processing position and a standby position. With this configuration, in this example, when the lower cover member 30 is in the cover-open position pa1 and the substrate support mechanism 40 is in the standby position, a substrate W loaded from outside the exposure apparatus 100 is received by the plurality of front end members 41 a of the substrate support mechanism 40.

[0158] When the substrate W loaded into the exposure apparatus 100 is received by the substrate support mechanism 40, the lower cover member 30 moves to the cover closing position pa2 and the substrate support mechanism 40 moves to the processing position. Thus, the substrate W is stored in the processing space 20S. The substrate W supported by the plurality of front members 41a is irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet rays.

[0159] When exposure of the substrate W is complete, the lower cover member 30 moves to the cover-open position pa1, and the substrate support mechanism 40 moves to the standby position. This allows the substrate W to be removed from the processing space 20S. Finally, the substrate W, supported by the plurality of front end members 41 a, is unloaded from the exposure apparatus 100.

[0160] In the above configuration, the plurality of front end members 41a and the lower cover member 30 are configured to close the plurality of through holes 32 when the lower cover member 30 and the substrate support mechanism 40 are located at the cover closing position pa2 and the processing position, respectively. This ensures that the processing space 20S remains sealed during exposure processing.

[0161] in addition, Figure 16 In the exposure apparatus 100, if the processing space 20S is kept sealed, the distance between the exit surface 13S of the light emitting section 10 and the substrate W can be adjusted according to the type of substrate W and the content of the processing. In this case, by further reducing the distance between the exit surface 13S of the light emitting section 10 and the substrate W, the exposure time can be shortened. This can improve the efficiency of the exposure process.

[0162] Figure 16 In the example shown in FIG. 5 , the lifting drive units 53 and 54 are provided separately as the configuration for driving the lower cover member 30 and the substrate support mechanism 40 , but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0163] Figure 16 In the exposure apparatus 100 , a single lifting drive unit configured to drive both the lower cover member 30 and the substrate support mechanism 40 may be provided in place of the lifting drive units 53 and 54 .

[0164] The lifting drive unit may include, for example, a motor and first and second cams disposed on the motor's rotating shaft. In this case, the first cam is configured to utilize the rotational force generated by the motor to lift the lower cover member 30 between a cover-open position pa1 and a cover-closed position pa2. Furthermore, the second cam is configured to utilize the rotational force generated by the motor to lift the substrate support mechanism 40 between a standby position and a processing position.

[0165] Alternatively, the lifting drive unit may include, for example, a pneumatic cylinder and a rod-shaped shaft member. In this case, the lower cover member 30 and the substrate support mechanism 40 are mounted on the shaft member. In this configuration, while one end of the shaft member is fixed, the pneumatic cylinder moves the other end of the shaft member vertically. This allows the lower cover member 30 to be raised and lowered between the lid-open position pa1 and the lid-closed position pa2, and the substrate support mechanism 40 to be raised and lowered between the standby position and the processing position.

[0166] According to the above configuration, the number of components of the exposure apparatus 100 can be reduced, and the exposure apparatus 100 can be made compact.

[0167] (4) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the first embodiment, the front end member 41 a is provided in the substrate support mechanism 40 to seal the processing space 20S. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, if the processing space 20S is not required to be extremely airtight, the front end member 41 a may not be provided in the substrate support mechanism 40.

[0168] (5) In the first embodiment, the supply and exhaust rates of the inert gas to and from the processing space 20S during the exposure process are set to be the same, but the present invention is not limited to this. The supply and exhaust rates of the inert gas to and from the processing space 20S during the exposure process may also be different. For example, the exhaust rate of the atmosphere in the processing space 20S may be less than the supply rate of the inert gas, or the exhaust rate of the atmosphere in the processing space 20S may be greater than the supply rate of the inert gas.

[0169] (6) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the first embodiment, whether the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S has dropped to the target oxygen concentration during the exposure process is determined based on the output of the oxygen concentration meter 52 b , but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0170] For example, if the time required from the time the lower opening 22 is closed until the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S reaches the target oxygen concentration (hereinafter referred to as the concentration reaching time) is known, the determination can be made based on the concentration reaching time. In this case, the oxygen concentration meter 52b is not required, and the structure of the exposure apparatus 100 is simplified.

[0171] [8] Correspondence between the constituent elements of the claims and the elements of the embodiments

[0172] Hereinafter, examples of correspondence between the constituent elements of the claims and the elements of the embodiments will be described. In the first embodiment, the lower cover member 30 is an example of a sealing member, the support member 38 is an example of a substrate support portion, the gas supply system 51 is an example of a supply portion, and the gas exhaust system 52 is an example of an exhaust portion. Figures 12 to 14 The time points t1 to t2 are examples of the first time. Figures 12 to 14 The value α is an example of the first flow rate, Figures 12 to 14 The time points t2 to t3 are examples of the second time. Figures 12 to 14 The value β is an example of the second flow rate.

[0173] Various other elements having the configurations or functions recited in the claims may also be used as the constituent elements of the claims.

[0174] [B] Second embodiment

[0175] [1] Structure of the exposure device

[0176] Figure 17 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of an exposure apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 18 Is used to illustrate Figure 17 A three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of some components of the exposure device 100. Figure 17 and Figure 18 The structure and operation of the exposure device 100 are the same as those of the exposure device 100 except for the structure of the peripheral wall member 20. Figure 1 and Figure 2 same.

[0177] [2] Configuration of the peripheral wall member 20

[0178] Figure 19 yes Figure 17 Schematic top view of the peripheral wall part 20. Figure 20 Yes Figure 19 An enlarged perspective view of the structure of the first gas flow path 25. Figure 17 、 Figure 18 and Figure 19 The peripheral wall member 20 and Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 The peripheral wall member 20 of FIG. 1 is different in the following respects.

[0179] like Figure 17 、 Figure 18 and Figure 19 As shown in FIG, a first gas flow path 25 and a second gas flow path 26 are formed inside the peripheral wall member 20. Figure 20 As shown, the first gas flow path 25 includes an upstream flow path portion 25A and a downstream flow path portion 25B, and has an L-shaped cross section.

[0180] Specifically, the upstream flow path portion 25A extends horizontally inward from the lower portion of the outer surface of the peripheral wall member 20. The downstream flow path portion 25B extends vertically upward from the inner end of the upstream flow path portion 25A to the upper end surface 23 of the peripheral wall member 20. The outer end of the upstream flow path portion 25A serves as the upstream end 25a of the first gas flow path 25. The upper end of the downstream flow path portion 25B serves as the downstream end 25b of the first gas flow path 25.

[0181] The pipe 51a is connected to the upstream end 25a of the first gas flow path 25. In this case, the inert gas supplied from the pipe 51a to the upstream end 25a of the first gas flow path 25 is guided horizontally from the outside to the inside within the upstream flow path portion 25A. The inert gas is then supplied from the bottom to the top within the downstream flow path portion 25B and ejected upward from the downstream end 25b of the first gas flow path 25.

[0182] A bottomed first opening 27 is formed on the upper end surface 23 of the peripheral wall member 20, connecting the first gas flow path 25 with the processing space 20S. Specifically, the first opening 27 includes a first side surface 27a and a second side surface 27b that face each other across a space above the downstream end 25b of the first gas flow path 25. The distance between the first side surface 27a and the second side surface 27b gradually increases from the downstream end 25b of the first gas flow path 25 toward the processing space 20S. In this example, the first and second side surfaces 27a and 27b are planar, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The first and second side surfaces 27a and 27b may be curved, for example.

[0183] A collision surface 29 is provided above the downstream end 25b of the first gas flow path 25, against which the inert gas ejected to the first opening 27 collides. The collision surface 29 is located above the upper surface of the substrate W supported by the plurality of support members 38 during exposure. In this example, Figure 17 The bottom wall portion 11 a of the housing 11 of the light emitting portion 10 is used as the collision surface 29 .

[0184] The inert gas ejected from the downstream end portion 25b of the first gas flow path 25 collides with the collision surface 29 and is guided to the first and second side surfaces 27a and 27b of the first opening 27 and supplied to the processing space 20S. Figure 19 As shown by the arrows in , the inert gas diffuses in the processing space 20S so as to spread in the horizontal plane. Thus, the inert gas can be uniformly supplied to the space between the light emitting portion 10 and the substrate W in the processing space 20S in a short time.

[0185] Figure 21 Yes Figure 19An enlarged perspective view of the structure of the second gas flow path 26. Figure 21 As shown, a bottomed second opening 28 is formed on the upper end surface 23 of the peripheral wall member 20, which connects the second gas flow path 26 with the processing space 20S. In this example, the first opening 27 and the second opening 28 face each other across the processing space 20S (see FIG. Figure 19 ).

[0186] The second opening 28 includes a third side surface 28a and a fourth side surface 28b that face each other across the space above the upstream end 26a of the second gas flow path 26. The distance between the third side surface 28a and the fourth side surface 28b gradually decreases from the processing space 20S toward the downstream end 25b of the second gas flow path 26. In this example, the third and fourth side surfaces 28a and 28b are formed in a planar shape, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The third and fourth side surfaces 28a and 28b may be formed in a curved shape, for example.

[0187] and, Figure 17 The bottom wall portion 11a of the housing 11 of the light emitting portion 10 is located above the upstream end portion 26a of the second gas flow path 26. Figure 17 The gas exhaust system 52 is operated, and the atmosphere of the processing space 20S is guided from the upstream end 26a into the second gas flow path 26 along the bottom wall 11a of the shell 11 and the third and fourth side surfaces 28a and 28b of the second opening 28.

[0188] The second gas flow path 26 includes an upstream flow path portion 26A and a downstream flow path portion 26B, and has an L-shaped cross-section. Specifically, the upstream flow path portion 26A extends vertically downward from the upper end surface 23 of the peripheral wall member 20. The downstream flow path portion 26B extends horizontally from the lower end of the upstream flow path portion 26A to the outer side surface of the peripheral wall member 20. The upper end of the upstream flow path portion 26A serves as the upstream end portion 26a of the second gas flow path 26. The outer end portion of the downstream flow path portion 26B serves as the downstream end portion 26b of the second gas flow path 26.

[0189] The downstream end 26b of the second gas flow channel 26 is connected to the pipe 52a. In this case, the inert gas from the second opening 28 is guided downward from the upper upstream end 26a within the upstream flow channel 26A. The inert gas is then guided horizontally from the inside to the outside within the downstream flow channel 26B and discharged into the pipe 52a. This facilitates the formation of an inert gas flow within the processing space 20S. Consequently, the time required to uniformly replace the atmosphere above the substrates W in the processing space 20S can be shortened.

[0190] Figure 20 The first side surface 27a, the second side surface 27b, Figure 21The height of the third side surface 28a and the fourth side surface 28b is, for example, greater than 1 mm and less than 10 mm, preferably greater than 1 mm and less than 5 mm. The height of the first side surface 27a, the second side surface 27b, the third side surface 28a and the fourth side surface 28b of the peripheral wall member 20 in this example is 2 mm.

[0191] [3] Basic Operation of Exposure Device 100 During Exposure Processing

[0192] In the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment, vacuum ultraviolet rays are irradiated on the substrate W in the processing space 20S where the oxygen concentration above the substrate W is maintained low. Hereinafter, the basic operation of the exposure apparatus 100 during the exposure process will be described.

[0193] Figures 22 to 27 This is a schematic side view for explaining the basic operation of the exposure device 100 of the second embodiment during the exposure process. Figures 22 to 24 The operation of the exposure device 100 is shown. Figures 22 to 24 The actions shown are the same as Figures 4 to 6 The actions shown are the same.

[0194] like Figure 24 As shown, in the state where the processing space 20S is sealed, as shown by the single-dot dashed arrow, the inert gas flows from Figure 17 The gas supply system 51 supplies the inert gas to the first opening 27 through the first gas flow path 25. Therefore, the inert gas ejected from the downstream end 25b of the first gas flow path 25 collides with the collision surface 29. Due to the collision with the collision surface 29, the flow direction of the inert gas is changed from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction. Then, the inert gas flows along Figure 19 The liquid is supplied into the processing space 20S along the collision surface 29 through the first side surface 27 a and the second side surface 27 b of the first opening 27 .

[0195] Then, the atmosphere in the processing space 20S passes through the second opening 28 and the second gas flow path 26 and is used to Figure 17 The gas is exhausted to the outside of the exposure apparatus 100 by the gas exhaust system 52. As a result, the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is gradually replaced with the inert gas, and the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S is reduced.

[0196] Then, proceed Figures 25 to 27 The action shown. Figures 25 to 27 The actions shown are Figures 7 to 9 The actions shown are the same.

[0197] [4] A series of processes performed by the control unit 60 during exposure processing

[0198] use Figure 17A series of processes performed by the control unit 60 of the exposure device 100 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. Figure 10 and Figure 11 The series of processes shown are the same.

[0199] [5] Examples and Comparative Examples

[0200] In Examples 1 and 2, the peripheral wall member 20 of the second embodiment was used to simulate the uniform replacement of the atmosphere in the processing space 20S with nitrogen. Figure 3 Using the peripheral wall member 20A shown in FIG. , a simulation was conducted to uniformly replace the atmosphere within the processing space 20S with nitrogen. The simulation compared the nitrogen flow rate, nitrogen supply time, and oxygen concentration after replacement. Furthermore, nitrogen supply and exhaust were performed simultaneously, with the nitrogen supply rate and exhaust rate within the processing space 20S being equal.

[0201] like Figure 3 As shown, the peripheral wall member 20 of the comparative example does not include the first opening 27 and the second opening 28. The thickness, height, and inner diameter D2 of the peripheral wall member 20A are the same as those of the peripheral wall members 20 of Examples 1 and 2, respectively.

[0202] Figure 28 : is a graph showing the comparison results of Example 1, Example 2 and Comparative Example 1. Figure 28 As shown, in Example 1, when the nitrogen flow rate was 10 L / min, the oxygen concentration in the treatment space 20S was 1% or less after 19 seconds. In Example 2, when the nitrogen flow rate was 13 L / min, the oxygen concentration in the treatment space 20S was 1% or less after 13 seconds. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, when the nitrogen flow rate was 9 L / min, the oxygen concentration in the treatment space 20S was 6% after 20 seconds.

[0203] The comparison results of Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1 confirmed that the use of the peripheral wall member 20 of the second embodiment can shorten the time required for uniform replacement and can sufficiently reduce the oxygen concentration.

[0204] [6] Effect

[0205] (1) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment, the inert gas flows through the first gas flow path 25 formed in the peripheral wall member 20 and reaches the downstream end portion 25b. The inert gas supplied from the downstream end portion 25b to the first opening portion 27 collides with the collision surface 29 above the substrate W and then flows into the processing space 20S along the first side surface 27a and the second side surface 27b. In this case, the atmosphere between the exit surface 13S and the substrate W can be uniformly replaced. Furthermore, it is not necessary to replace the atmosphere in the entire processing space 20S. Therefore, the time required for replacement can be shortened. As a result, the efficiency and accuracy of the exposure process can be improved.

[0206] (2) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment, the peripheral wall member 20 has a cylindrical shape. In this case, the processing space 20S formed by the cylindrical peripheral wall member 20 has no corners where gas can stagnate. Therefore, when the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is replaced with an inert gas, a smooth gas flow is generated along the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall member 20. This shortens the time required for replacement and reduces the amount of inert gas used in the replacement.

[0207] (3) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment, the peripheral wall member 20 includes a second gas flow path 26 for exhausting the atmosphere in the processing space 20S. In this case, by exhausting the atmosphere in the processing space 20S using the gas exhaust system 52, an inert gas flow can be more easily formed in the processing space 20S. Therefore, the time required to uniformly replace the atmosphere above the substrate W in the processing space 20S can be shortened.

[0208] (4) As described above, by providing the bottom wall portion 11a, which is a portion of the lower surface of the light emitting portion 10 covering the upper opening 21 of the peripheral wall member 20, as the collision surface 29, there is no need to provide a separate collision surface 29. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the exposure apparatus can be reduced.

[0209] (5) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment, the lower cover member 30 moves to the cover-open position pa1 below the processing space 20S when loading and unloading a substrate W into or out of the processing space 20S. This facilitates the transfer of the substrate W between the outside of the exposure apparatus 100 and the front end member 41a of the substrate support mechanism 40. Furthermore, when exposing the substrate W, the lower cover member 30 moves to the upper cover-closed position pa2. This facilitates the closing of the lower opening 22.

[0210] (6) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment, a plurality of support members 38 are provided on the upper surface 31 of the lower cover member 30. In this case, the plurality of support members 38 move vertically together with the lower cover member 30. Thus, a substrate W can be placed on the plurality of support members 38 from outside the exposure apparatus 100 below the processing space 20S. Furthermore, when the substrate W is exposed, the plurality of support members 38 move upward, bringing the substrate W closer to the exit surface 13S. This further improves the efficiency of the exposure process for the substrate W.

[0211] [7] including Figure 17 Substrate processing apparatus of exposure apparatus 100

[0212] include Figure 17 In the structure and operation of the substrate processing device 200 of the exposure device 100, except for the use of Figure 17 The exposure device 100 is replaced Figure 1 Except for the exposure device 100, Figure 15 The structure and operation of the substrate processing apparatus 200 are the same as those of the second embodiment. In this case, the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment can improve the efficiency of the exposure process with a simple and compact structure without reducing the cleanliness of the substrate W. In this case, the processing accuracy of the substrate W can be improved and the manufacturing cost of the substrate W can be reduced.

[0213] [8] Other Implementations

[0214] (1) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment described above, the second gas flow path 26 for exhausting the atmosphere in the processing space 20S is provided, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0215] For example, multiple exhaust ports may be provided at opposing positions across the processing space 20S in the first gas flow channel 25 and the downstream end portion 25b of the first flow channel. In this case, by exhausting the atmosphere in the processing space 20S through the multiple exhaust ports, an inert gas flow can be more easily established within the processing space 20S. Consequently, the time required to uniformly replace the atmosphere above the substrates W in the processing space 20S can be shortened.

[0216] (2) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment, the first gas flow path 25 and the second gas flow path 26 have L-shaped cross sections, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0217] For example, the first gas flow path 25 and the second gas flow path 26 may be formed by holes that penetrate the peripheral wall member 20 in the vertical direction from the bottom to the top.

[0218] (3) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment described above, the second opening 28 and the second gas flow path 26 are formed, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0219] For example, Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 2 , the second gas flow path 26 is formed by a through hole formed from the outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall member 20 .

[0220] (4) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment, the bottom wall portion 11 a , which is a portion of the lower surface of the light emitting portion 10 covering the upper opening 21 of the peripheral wall member 20 , serves as the collision surface 29 . However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0221] For example, a portion of the peripheral wall member 20 may be formed on the upper surface of the first opening 27. In this case, a portion of the inner portion of the peripheral wall member 20 serves as the collision surface 29, eliminating the need for a separate collision surface 29. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the exposure apparatus 100 can be reduced.

[0222] (5) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment, whether the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S has dropped to the target oxygen concentration during the exposure process is determined based on the output of the oxygen concentration meter 52 b , but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0223] For example, if the time required for the oxygen concentration in the processing space 20S to reach the target oxygen concentration from the time the lower opening 22 is closed (hereinafter referred to as the concentration reaching time) is known, the determination can be made based on the concentration reaching time. In this case, the oxygen concentration meter 52b is unnecessary, and the structure of the exposure apparatus 100 becomes simple.

[0224] (6) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment, exposure processing is performed while the substrate W accommodated in the processing space 20S is supported by the plurality of support members 38 mounted on the lower cover member 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of mounting the plurality of support members 38 on the lower cover member 30, the substrate support mechanism 40 may be provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Figure 29 It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of an exposure apparatus 100 according to another embodiment. Figure 29 The exposure device 100 and Figure 17 The exposure device 100 is different in that the plurality of storage tubes 33 and the support member 38 are not provided, but a lifting drive unit 54 is further provided. Figure 29 The lower cover member 30, the substrate support mechanism 40, the lifting drive unit 53 and the lifting drive unit 54 are Figure 16 The structures and operations of the lower cover member 30, substrate support mechanism 40, lifting drive unit 53 and lifting drive unit 54 are the same.

[0225] (7) In the exposure apparatus 100 of the second embodiment, the front end member 41 a is provided in the substrate support mechanism 40 to seal the processing space 20S. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, if the processing space 20S is not required to be extremely airtight, the front end member 41 a may not be provided in the substrate support mechanism 40.

[0226] [9] Correspondence between the constituent elements of the claims and the elements of the embodiments

[0227] The following describes examples of correspondence between the various components of the claims and the various components of the embodiments. In the second embodiment, the support member 38 is an example of a substrate support portion, the first gas flow path 25 is an example of a flow path, the gas exhaust system 52 is an example of an exhaust portion, the bottom wall portion 11a of the light emitting portion 10 is an example of a portion of the lower surface of the light emitting portion, the lower cover member 30 is an example of a sealing member, the cover open position pa1 is an example of a first position, and the cover closed position pa2 is an example of a second position.

[0228] Various other elements having the configurations or functions recited in the claims may also be used as the constituent elements of the claims.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus for performing an exposure process on a substrate having at least a portion thereof having a circular shape, comprising: a cylindrical peripheral wall member forming a processing space capable of accommodating the substrate and having an upper opening and a lower opening; a light emitting portion, provided above the peripheral wall member in a manner covering the upper opening of the peripheral wall member and having an emitting surface capable of emitting vacuum ultraviolet rays toward the processing space; a closing member disposed below the peripheral wall member so as to be movable in the up-down direction and configured to close and open the lower opening; a substrate supporting portion for supporting the substrate between the emission surface and the sealing member in such a manner that the substrate faces the emission surface; a supply unit configured to supply an inert gas into the processing space in a state where the substrate is supported by the substrate support unit in the processing space and the lower opening is closed by the closing member; and The exhaust portion exhausts the atmosphere in the processing space to the outside of the processing space in a state where the substrate supporting portion supports the substrate in the processing space and the lower opening is closed by the closing member.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein A first gas flow path and a second gas flow path are formed inside the peripheral wall member, which communicate the outside of the peripheral wall member with the processing space. The supply unit is configured to supply the inert gas into the processing space through the first gas flow path. The exhaust portion is provided so as to be able to exhaust the atmosphere in the processing space to the outside of the processing space through the second gas flow path.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The first gas flow path and the second gas flow path are respectively formed in portions of the peripheral wall member that face each other across the processing space.

4. The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The sealing member has a flat upper surface facing the emission surface, A plurality of the substrate supporting portions are mounted on the upper surface of the sealing member.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of support pins, each of the plurality of support pins having a plurality of upper end portions extending in a vertical direction at a position below the processing space and capable of supporting the substrate. The closing member has a plurality of through holes for inserting the plurality of support pins. The plurality of support pins are arranged in such a manner that, when the lower opening is closed by the closing component, the upper end portions of the plurality of support pins are located below the upper ends of the plurality of substrate support portions, and when the lower opening is opened by the closing component, the upper end portions of the plurality of support pins are located above the upper ends of the plurality of substrate support portions.

6. The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a control unit configured to control the light emitting unit and the supply unit. The control unit controls the supply unit in the following manner, that is, from the time point when the substrate is supported by the substrate supporting unit in the processing space and the lower opening is closed by the sealing unit to a predetermined first time, the inert gas is supplied into the processing space at a first flow rate, and from the time point when the first time has passed to a second time, the inert gas is supplied into the processing space at a second flow rate lower than the first flow rate; and controls the light emitting unit in the following manner, that is, during the second time, the vacuum ultraviolet rays are emitted from the emitting surface to the substrate.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The first gas flow path and the second gas flow path are provided above a substrate supported by the substrate support in the processing space.

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