Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

To obtain a high throughput and high uniformity of processing among substrates in forming a film on the substrate.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus comprises: a plurality of processing parts each storing a substrate and rotating the stored substrate; a coating film forming part that supplies a coating liquid to a surface of the substrate to form a coating film by the rotation in a first processing part of the processing parts; and a transport part that is configured to transport a substrate on which the coating film is formed to the processing part other than the first processing part so that the coating film is dried outside the first processing part, and sequentially transport the substrate among the plurality of processing parts so that processing related to formation of the coating film is performed in each processing part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as wafers) serving as substrates are transported within an apparatus, a coating film is formed by supplying a coating liquid to the wafer, and various processes are performed on the coating film. Patent Document 1 describes a substrate processing apparatus (coating and developing apparatus) that forms a resist film as a coating film and forms a pattern on the resist film by exposure and development. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-83851 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique for achieving high throughput and high process uniformity between substrates when depositing films on substrates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of processing sections each storing a substrate and rotating the stored substrate; a coating film forming unit that supplies a coating liquid to the surface of the substrate to form a coating film by the rotation, in a first processing unit among the processing units; The substrate on which the coating film has been formed is transported to a processing unit other than the first processing unit so that the coating film can be dried outside the first processing unit, and a transport unit transports the substrate in sequence between the multiple processing units so that processing related to the formation of the coating film can be performed in each processing unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The present disclosure can achieve high throughput and high process uniformity between substrates when depositing films on substrates. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional front view of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 3] 3 is an explanatory view showing a wafer transport path on a resist film formation level in the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a coating processing unit provided on the story. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a coating processing unit provided on the story. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a coating processing unit provided on the story. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a development floor in the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a chart showing the change over time in the rotation speed of a wafer for forming a resist film. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional front view showing a level for forming a resist film in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a hot plate for heating wafers on the floor. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a resist film formation floor on which a coating processing unit for pre-treatment is provided. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a side view of a substrate processing apparatus configured as a coating apparatus. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a modified example of a layer for forming a resist film. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [First embodiment] A substrate processing apparatus 1, which is a first embodiment of a substrate transfer apparatus according to the present disclosure, will be described with reference to the plan view of Fig. 1 and the front view of Fig. 2. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is connected to an exposure machine D6, and forms a resist film on a wafer W, which is a circular substrate, and develops the resist film after exposure.

[0009] The substrate processing apparatus 1 is formed by connecting a carrier block D1, a first intermediate block D2, a processing block D3, a second intermediate block D4, and an interface block D5 in a row in the horizontal direction. In the following description, the direction along the row of blocks will be referred to as the left-right direction, with the carrier block D1 side on the left side and the interface block D5 on the right side. Although not shown in the figures, the exposure machine D6 is connected to the right side of the interface block D5. Furthermore, in this description, the near side when viewing the carrier block D1 side from the left side and the second intermediate block D4 from the right side will be referred to as the front side and the far side will be referred to as the rear side.

[0010] The carrier block D1 includes a plurality of carrier stages 11, for example, four, arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction, and a transfer mechanism 12 that transfers wafers W into and out of carriers C placed on each stage 11. The carriers C are transfer containers, for example, called FOUPs (Front Opening Unity Pods), that can store a plurality of wafers W. The transfer mechanism 12 is provided on a transfer path 13 that extends front-to-rear, and can access the carriers C on each stage 11 to transfer wafers W into and out of the carriers C, and can also transfer wafers W to and from a tower T1, which will be described later.

[0011] The transfer mechanism 12 and each of the transfer mechanisms 14, 21, 24, and 72 described below each include a base and a holder for the wafer W that can move forward and backward on the base. The base is capable of any or all of linear movement in the horizontal direction, rotation around a vertical axis, and vertical movement so that the wafer W can be transferred, and the wafer W can be transferred along a transfer path described below.

[0012] The first intermediate block D2 includes a transport mechanism 14, a tower T1, an inspection module 15, a hydrophobization module 16, and a temperature adjustment module 17. A transport path 18 extending left and right is formed in the center between the front and rear of the first intermediate block D2, and the transport mechanism 14 is provided on the transport path 18. A tower T1 is provided on the left side of the first intermediate block D2 so as to face the transport path 18 from the front. Two stacked bodies each formed by stacking a hydrophobization module 16 and a temperature adjustment module 17 are provided on the right side of the first intermediate block D2 so as to sandwich the transport path 18 from the front and rear.

[0013] The inspection module 15 is a module that captures an image of the surface of the wafer W and transmits the image to the control unit 100 (described later) so that the control unit 100 can perform an inspection. In the illustrated example, the inspection module 15 is shown to be located on the rear left side of the transfer path 18. The hydrophobization module 16 performs a hydrophobization process on the surface of the wafer W by gas treatment before a resist film is formed. The temperature adjustment module 17, on which the wafer W is placed before being coated with resist, adjusts the temperature of the wafer W. For convenience, the temperature adjustment module 17 located on the front side may be referred to as 17A, and the temperature adjustment module 17 located on the rear side may be referred to as 17B. Note that the tower T1 and the towers T2 to T5, T11, and T12 (described later) are configured with multiple stacked modules for temporarily placing the wafer W. The temporary placement module that makes up each tower T may be configured as the temperature adjustment module 17, or may be configured as a stage without a temperature adjustment function for the wafer W placed thereon.

[0014] Processing block D3 is formed by stacking multiple levels, each equipped with a liquid processing module, and may be composed of, for example, four levels E1 to E4, labeled E1, E2, E3, and E4 from bottom to top. Levels E1 and E2 are levels for resist film formation, and levels E3 and E4 are levels for development. The configuration of processing block D3 will be described in detail later.

[0015] The second intermediate block D4 includes a conveying mechanism 21, two towers T2, and a heating module 22. A conveying path 23 extending left and right is formed in the center between the front and rear of the second intermediate block D4, and the conveying mechanism 21 is provided on the conveying path 23. A plurality of heating modules 22 are stacked to form a stack, and the stacks are provided side by side on the front and rear sides of the conveying path 23.

[0016] The heating module 22 is a module that heats the wafer W on which a resist film has been formed (PAB: Pre Applied Bake). By placing the wafer W on a heating plate, the wafer W is heated to a temperature of, for example, 100°C or higher. As will be described in detail later, the wafer W is transported from one of the left and right sides (left side) to the other side (right side), i.e., the second intermediate block D4, while undergoing processing related to the formation of a resist film in a coating processing unit group provided in the processing block D3. The heating module 22 is provided on the other side (right side) of this coating processing unit group. This arrangement allows the wafer W on which the resist film has been formed to be quickly subjected to PAB.

[0017] A tower T2 is provided on the left side, overlapping the stack of front heating modules 22 and the stack of rear heating modules 22. The front tower may be referred to as T2A, and the rear tower as T2B.

[0018] The interface block D5 includes a tower T4 and a transfer mechanism 24. The transfer mechanism 24 and the transfer mechanism 21 of the second intermediate block D4 have access to the tower T4. The transfer mechanism 24 delivers wafers W between the tower T4 and the exposure machine D6.

[0019] [Structure of layers for resist film formation] The resist film formation level E1 in processing block D3 will now be described. Level E1 includes coating units F1-F5 and transport units 3 and 4. The coating units F1-F5 are located in the front and rear central areas of level E1, and are lined up from left to right in the order F1, F2, F3, F4, and F5. The front and rear sides of the line of coating units F1-F5 are configured as transport paths 30 and 40 for wafers W, respectively. The transport paths 30 and 40 are provided with transport units 3 and 4, respectively, for transporting wafers W.

[0020] To form a resist film, the following steps are performed in sequence: supplying a resist coating liquid to the wafer W to perform spin coating; adjusting the thickness distribution of the resist film within the surface of the wafer W; adjusting the thickness of the resist film; drying the resist film after thickness adjustment; removing unnecessary resist film formed on the peripheral edge of the wafer W using a process called EBR (Edge Bead Removal); and removing the coating film adhered to the backside of the wafer W by cleaning. In this embodiment, each of these processes involves rotating the wafer W. The coating processing units F1 to F5 are configured to perform some of the series of processes related to the formation of the resist film described above, and the wafer W is subjected to this series of processes by being transported sequentially through the coating processing units F1 to F5 by the transport units 3 and 4.

[0021] Each of the coating processing units F1 to F5 includes a cup 50 for accommodating a wafer W, and a spin chuck 51 for mounting the wafer W in the cup 50 and rotating together with the mounted wafer W. Therefore, on the story E1, different processes among the series of processes described above are each performed in a mutually partitioned space (the space within the cup 50).

[0022] Each of the coating processing units F1 to F5 has two cups 50 arranged in a front-to-back arrangement so that two wafers W can be processed in parallel. The cup 50 on the front side of each of the coating processing units F1 to F5 may be referred to as cup 50A, and the cup 50 on the rear side may be referred to as cup 50B. Each of the five cups 50A and five cups 50B is arranged in a straight line on the left and right.

[0023] The transfer section 3 is made up of six transfer mechanisms arranged in a row on the left and right, which are named from left to right as transfer mechanisms 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36. The transfer section 4 is made up of six transfer mechanisms arranged in a row on the left and right, which are named from left to right as transfer mechanisms 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46. Each of these transfer mechanisms 31 to 36 and 41 to 46 is configured as a transfer mechanism equipped with, for example, an articulated arm so that it can transfer the wafer W over a relatively long distance.

[0024] In FIG. 3, dotted arrows indicate the transfer of wafers W on story E1. Wafers W in temperature control module 17A in first intermediate block D2 are transferred sequentially through cups 50A in coating units F1 to F5 and then to tower T2A in second intermediate block D4. Transfer unit 3 is used for this transfer. Transfer mechanisms 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 transfer wafers from temperature control module 17A to coating unit F1, from coating unit F1 to F2, from coating unit F2 to F3, from coating unit F3 to F4, from coating unit F4 to F5, and from coating unit F5 to tower T2A, respectively. Thus, transfer unit 3 constitutes a group of transfer mechanisms for transferring the front cups 50A to coating units F1 to F6.

[0025] Furthermore, wafers W from temperature adjustment module 17B in first intermediate block D2 are transferred sequentially through cups 50B from coating units F1 to F5 to tower T2B in second intermediate block D4. Transfer unit 4 is used for this transfer. Transfer mechanisms 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46 perform the following transfers: from temperature adjustment module 17B to coating unit F1, from coating unit F1 to F2, from coating unit F2 to F3, from coating unit F3 to F4, from coating unit F4 to F5, and from coating unit F5 to tower T2B, respectively. Thus, transfer unit 4 constitutes a group of transfer mechanisms for transferring rearward cups 50B to coating units F1 to F6.

[0026] Next, the coating processing units F1 to F5 will be explained, but before that, the above-mentioned series of processes for forming a resist film will be explained in more detail. First, resist is supplied to the center of the wafer W, and the wafer W is rotated at a first rotation speed R1 to spread the resist to the periphery of the wafer W and form a resist film over the entire surface (top surface) of the wafer W. In other words, the above-mentioned spin coating is performed, and a resist film is formed over the entire surface (top surface) of the wafer W.

[0027] Rotation at this first rotation speed R1 causes excess resist to be shaken off from the wafer W and drying to proceed, preventing the resist from scattering or falling off the wafer W. In this state where the resist does not fall off but the formed resist film maintains its fluidity, the rotation speed of the wafer W is changed to a second rotation speed R2 that is smaller than the first rotation speed R1, and the surface tension of the resist causes a portion of the resist to move from the periphery of the wafer W to the center, thereby making the thickness distribution of the resist film within the surface of the wafer W uniform.

[0028] The wafer W then rotates at a third rotation speed R3, which is higher than the second rotation speed R2 but lower than the first rotation speed R1. As the solvent in the resist film evaporates (dries), the thickness of the resist film reaches a thickness corresponding to the third rotation speed R3. The resist film then rotates at a fourth rotation speed R4, which is equal to or higher than the third rotation speed R3, and the resist film continues to dry while maintaining its thickness. In the processing example shown in the chart below, the fourth rotation speed R4 is set higher than the third rotation speed R3. After the resist film has dried, a removing liquid is supplied to the peripheral edge of the wafer W, which is rotating at a predetermined rotation speed, to remove the portion of the resist film formed on the peripheral edge. In other words, the EBR process described above is performed. Since the drying process is complete, the penetration of the removing liquid from the position where it is dispensed onto the wafer W toward the center of the wafer W is suppressed. Concurrently with this EBR process, a cleaning liquid is supplied to the backside of the wafer W, thereby performing backside cleaning.

[0029] The above processes are divided and performed in coating processing units F1 to F5, respectively, and wafers W can be processed in parallel in each of these coating processing units F1 to F5. In coating processing unit F1, processes from spin coating to rotation at the second rotational speed R2 are performed. In coating processing unit F2, processes from rotation at the second rotational speed R2 to rotation at the third rotational speed R3 are performed. In coating processing unit F3, processes from rotation at the third rotational speed R3 to rotation at the fourth rotational speed R4 are performed. In coating processing unit F4, rotation at the fourth rotational speed R4 is performed, and drying of the resist film is completed. In coating processing unit F5, EBR and backside cleaning are performed.

[0030] When wafers W are processed in parallel in each of the coating processing units F1 to F5, if a wafer W that has finished processing in one coating processing unit F is to be transferred to the next coating processing unit F while the next coating processing unit F is currently processing the wafer W, the transfer of the wafer W from the first coating processing unit F must be postponed. If the transfer postponement time varies between wafers W, this could result in a decrease in processing uniformity. To prevent this, in this example, the processing time L1 is set to the same time in each of the coating processing units F1 to F5. This processing time L1 is the time from when the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 51 in a non-rotating state until the rotation of the spin chuck 51 stops (i.e., the time until the transfer mechanism is ready to receive the wafer W).

[0031] [Configuration of coating processing unit] Next, the coating processing unit F1 will be described with reference to Fig. 4, a vertical cross-sectional side view. The coating processing unit F1 has a housing 59 that surrounds the cups 50 (50A and 50B). Openings are provided in the front and rear side walls of the housing 59, and the transfer units 3 and 4 enter the housing 59 through these openings, and the wafer W is transferred between the transfer units 3 and 4 and the cup 50. Each opening is provided with a shutter 52 that closes the opening to make the housing 59 an airtight space except when the wafer W is being loaded or unloaded.

[0032] A spin chuck 51 is provided in each cup 50 (50A, 50B), which sucks the center of the back surface of the wafer W and holds it horizontally. The cup 50 surrounds the side periphery of the wafer W thus held. A rotation mechanism 53 is connected to the spin chuck 51, which rotates the sucked wafer W around a vertical axis and a central axis. In the figure, 54 denotes three pins (only two are shown) that can be raised and lowered freely, and can be used to transfer the wafer W between the spin chuck 51 and the transfer units 3 and 4.

[0033] A drain port 55 is opened at the bottom of the cup 50, and an exhaust pipe 56 is also provided. The exhaust pipe 56 exhausts air from the cup 50 while the wafer W is being processed. A gas supply unit 57 is provided at the ceiling of the housing 59, and a downward air current is formed in the housing 59 by supplying clean air or an inert gas from the gas supply unit 57 and exhausting air from the cup 50. Note that since the cups 50A and 50B are housed in the same housing 59 and gas is supplied into the housing 59 from the common gas supply unit 57 between the cups 50A and 50B, variations in the processing of the wafers W processed between the cups 50A and 50B are suppressed.

[0034] Within housing 59 are provided nozzle 61, a waiting section 62 (not shown in FIG. 1) where nozzle 61 waits outside cup 50, and a moving mechanism 63 that moves nozzle 61. The moving mechanism 63 enables nozzle 61 to move up and down and horizontally, and to move between waiting section 62 and above wafers W stored in each cup 50. Resist is supplied to nozzle 61 from a resist supply mechanism 64 equipped with a pump, a valve, etc., and the resist is discharged downward from nozzle 61.

[0035] A longitudinal sectional side view of the coating processing unit F2 is shown in Fig. 5. The difference from the coating processing unit F1 is that the coating processing unit F2 does not have the nozzle 61, waiting section 62, moving mechanism 63, and resist supply mechanism 64. The coating processing units F3 and F4 have the same configuration as the coating processing unit F2.

[0036] A longitudinal side view of the coating processing unit F5 is shown in FIG. 6. One difference from the coating processing unit F1 is that the nozzles 61 are connected to a remover supply mechanism 65 instead of a resist supply mechanism 64. The remover supply mechanism 65 has a similar configuration to the resist supply mechanism 64, except that it supplies a resist solvent to the nozzles 61 as the remover liquid instead of resist to perform EBR. The nozzles 61, waiting units 62, and moving mechanisms 63 are provided for each cup 50, and the remover liquid is supplied to each nozzle 61 individually. Each cup 50 in the coating processing unit F5 is also provided with a nozzle 66 for backside cleaning, which dispenses a cleaning liquid onto the outside of the portion of the backside of the wafer W that is held by the spin chuck 51. The nozzles 66 are connected to a cleaning liquid supply mechanism 67, which is configured similarly to the remover supply mechanism 65. The cleaning liquid supply mechanism 67 supplies each nozzle 66 with a cleaning liquid, such as a resist solvent, individually.

[0037] The floor E2 has a similar configuration to the floor E1 described above. The development floor E3 will be described with reference to the plan view of FIG. 7. The center of the front and rear of the floor E3 is configured as a transport path 71 extending left and right, and a transport mechanism 72 is provided in the transport path 71. At the rear of the transport path 71, multiple stacks formed by stacking multiple heating modules 73 are arranged side by side. Each heating module 73 performs post-exposure bake (PEB) and post-development heating (post-bake). At the front of the transport path 71, multiple development modules 74 (four in the illustrated example) are arranged side by side, each supplying a developer to a wafer W. Towers T4 and T5 are provided at the right and left ends of the transport path 71, respectively, to allow wafers W to be transferred between the first intermediate block D2 and the second intermediate block D3. The development floor E4 has a similar configuration to the development floor E3.

[0038] [Controller configuration] Returning to FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with a control unit 100. The control unit 100 is, for example, a computer, and has a program storage unit (not shown). A program for controlling the processing of wafers W in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is stored in the program storage unit. The control unit 100 has one or more control circuits so as to execute the steps of the program. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium and installed into the control unit 100 from the storage medium. The installed program incorporates instructions (each step) so that the control unit 100 outputs a control signal to each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and the processing operation of wafers W in each transfer mechanism and each module is controlled by this control signal.

[0039] [Transport path of wafer W in substrate processing apparatus] In the substrate processing apparatus 1 described above, the wafer W is transported from the carrier C to the tower T1, then to the hydrophobization module 16, and then to the temperature adjustment module 17 (17A or 17B). The wafer W transported to the temperature adjustment module 17A is transported in turn through each of the cups 50A of the coating processing units F1, F2, F3, F4, and F5 on either the floor E1 or E2, where it is processed to form a resist film, and then it is transported to the tower T2 (T2A). The wafer W transported to the temperature adjustment module 17B is transported in turn through each of the cups 50B of the coating processing units F1, F2, F3, F4, and F5 on either the floor E1 or E2, where it is processed to form a resist film, and then it is transported to the tower T2 (T2B).

[0040] The wafer W transferred to tower T2 is transferred to heating module 22 to undergo PAB, and then transferred via tower T3 to exposure machine D6 for exposure. After exposure, the wafer W is transferred sequentially through towers T3 and T5 to either story E3 or E4, and then transferred to heating module 73 to undergo PEB. The wafer W is then transferred to developing module 74 to undergo development processing. This develops the resist film, forming a resist pattern. After that, the wafer W with the resist pattern formed thereon is post-baked, and then returned to carrier C via towers T4 and tower T1 in that order.

[0041] [Supplementary information on the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus] The inspection module 15 may inspect wafers W immediately after being removed from the carrier C and not yet processed, and / or wafers W immediately before being returned to the carrier C after processing. The developing module may be configured to supply a developing gas instead of a developer to perform development. Additional modules may be added to the substrate processing apparatus 1 as needed, and all of the processes in the modules described above do not necessarily have to be performed on wafers W. Furthermore, the layout and number of modules and transfer mechanisms in the carrier block D1, first intermediate block D2, second intermediate block D4, and interface block D5 are not limited to the examples described above. The transfer mechanism 72 may be configured to be shared between stories E3 and E4. Modified examples of the transfer mechanism and layout of the coating processing unit in processing block D3 will be described in detail later. Furthermore, the number of stories on which resist films are formed and the number of stories on which development is performed are not limited to the examples described above and can be set as appropriate. As will be described later, a story on which development is performed may not be provided.

[0042] [Processing procedure for forming resist film] 8, which shows the time-dependent change in the rotation speed of the wafer W and the position of the wafer W, the processing in the coating processing units F1 to F6 and the transfer between the coating processing units F1 to F6 will be described in detail. Note that, although the description will be given taking the wafer W transferred from the temperature adjustment module 17A as an example, the wafer W transferred from the temperature adjustment module 17B is also processed and transferred in the same manner.

[0043] When the wafer W is transferred from the temperature adjustment module 17A to the coating processing unit F1 by the transfer mechanism 31 and placed on and held by the spin chuck 51 in the cup 50A (time t1), the wafer W starts to rotate at a first rotation speed R1, and resist is dispensed from the nozzle 62 onto the center of the wafer W. The resist spreads to the peripheral edge of the wafer W, forming a resist film on the wafer W, and the dispensing of the resist stops. As the excess resist is shaken off and the resist film dries, the rotation speed of the wafer W decreases (time t2) to a second rotation speed R2, and the thickness distribution of the resist film across the surface of the wafer W becomes more uniform.

[0044] Then, when the rotation speed of the wafer W decreases and stops (time t3), the wafer W is transferred to the transfer mechanism 32 and transferred to the coating processing unit F2. After that, when the wafer W is placed and held on the spin chuck 51 in the cup 50A (time t4), the wafer W starts to rotate again and becomes the second rotation speed R2, and the film thickness distribution of the resist film progresses to be uniform. After that, the rotation speed of the wafer W increases (time t5) to become the third rotation speed R3, and the resist film progresses to dry and is adjusted to the desired film thickness.

[0045] Thereafter, the rotation speed of the wafer W decreases and stops (time t6), and the wafer W is transferred to the transfer mechanism 33 and transferred to the coating processing unit F3. Then, when the wafer W is placed and held on the spin chuck 51 in the cup 50A (time t7), the wafer W starts rotating and again reaches the third rotation speed R3. As film thickness adjustment of the wafer W progresses, and when the desired film thickness is reached, the rotation speed of the wafer W increases (time t8) to the fourth rotation speed R4, and the resist film continues to dry while maintaining the film thickness. Note that, although the fourth rotation speed R4 is shown as being lower than the first rotation speed R1 in this example, it may be equal to or higher than the first rotation speed R1.

[0046] Subsequently, when the rotation speed of the wafer W decreases and stops (time t9), the wafer W is transferred to the transfer mechanism 34 and transferred to the coating processing unit F4. Then, when the wafer W is placed and held on the spin chuck 51 in the cup 50A (time t10), the wafer W starts to rotate again and reaches the fourth rotation speed R4, and drying proceeds further while maintaining the film thickness.

[0047] Thereafter, when the rotation speed of the wafer W decreases and stops (time t11), the wafer W is transferred to the transfer mechanism 35 and transferred to the coating processing unit F5. Then, when the wafer W is placed and held on the spin chuck 51 in the cup 50A (time t12), the wafer W starts to rotate and reaches a predetermined rotation speed, and a removing liquid is discharged from the EBR nozzle 61 onto the peripheral portion of the wafer W, and a cleaning liquid is discharged from the backside nozzle 66 onto the backside of the wafer W. Then, after the unnecessary resist film on the peripheral portion of the wafer W is removed and the peripheral portion of the backside is cleaned, the discharge of the removing liquid and cleaning liquid stops, and the rotation of the wafer W stops (time t13). Then, the wafer W is transferred to the transfer mechanism 36 and transferred to the tower T2A.

[0048] The periods between times t1 and t3, between times t4 and t6, between times t7 and t9, between times t10 and t11, and between times t12 and t13 are the time L1 required for processing in the coating processing units F1, F2, F3, F4, and F5, and are all the same length. The periods between times t3 and t4, between times t6 and t7, between times t9 and t10, and between times t11 and t12 are the time required for transfer mechanisms 31 to 35 to transfer wafers W, and are all the same length, for example.

[0049] The cup 50, spin chuck 51, and rotation mechanism 53 constituting the coating processing unit F correspond to the processing section, the processing section of coating processing unit F1 corresponds to the first processing section, the processing section of coating processing unit F2 corresponds to the second processing section, and the processing section of coating processing unit F2 corresponds to the third processing section. The nozzle 61 and resist supply mechanism 64 that supply resist in coating processing unit F1 correspond to the coating film forming section.

[0050] [Advantages of this technology] The reason why a series of processes related to resist film formation, from resist supply to EBR and backside cleaning, are not performed on a wafer W in a single cup 50 but are performed in multiple cups 50 one by one as described above will now be explained. If the series of processes described above were performed in a single cup 50 and the throughput of the substrate processing apparatus 1 were to be increased, a large number of cups 50 would be required, and a large number of supply systems for supplying liquid into the cups 50 would also be required. More specifically, the greater the number of cups 50, the more equipment is required, such as nozzles for resist supply, piping for supplying resist to the nozzles, and valves and filters provided in the piping. The number of equipment required, such as nozzles for EBR, nozzles for backside cleaning, piping connected to these nozzles, and valves provided in the piping, also corresponds to the number of cups.

[0051] To process wafers W in each of these multiple cups 50, prior to the processing, it is necessary to flush the piping with a cleaning solution and to supply and fill the resist into the resist-supplying piping. Specifically, these tasks must be performed when starting up the system or after maintenance such as replacing filters. This can require a relatively large amount of effort and cost. Furthermore, providing multiple piping can result in variations in the length and deterioration of each piping, which can manifest as individual differences between the cups 50. This can lead to variations in the processing of wafers W from one cup 50 to another, potentially preventing sufficient processing uniformity between wafers W. Adjustments to prevent such individual differences can be time-consuming.

[0052] To prevent such problems from occurring, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, as described above, a series of processes are divided and performed partly in each cup 50, and the resist, EBR removal liquid, and cleaning liquid for the back surface of the wafer W are supplied only to some of the cups 50. This eliminates the individual differences described above, and enables highly uniform processing between wafers W. Furthermore, since processing can be performed in each cup 50 in parallel, throughput can also be increased.

[0053] Transfer mechanisms 31-36 are dedicated to transferring wafers W to the cups 50A of each of coating processing units F1-F5 and to tower T2A, to which wafers W are transferred immediately after coating processing unit F5. In other words, if the transfer path from cup 50A of coating processing unit F1 to tower T2A is referred to as transfer path A, a dedicated transfer mechanism is provided for each section of this transfer path A. Similarly, if the transfer path from cup 50B of coating processing unit F1 to tower T2B is referred to as transfer path B, a dedicated transfer mechanism (transfer mechanisms 41-46) is provided for each section of this transfer path B. Note that the term "section" here refers to a location other than the transfer mechanism where wafers W can be placed.

[0054] By providing a dedicated transfer mechanism for each section of the transfer paths A and B in this way, the transfer of wafers W in one section does not prevent the transfer of wafers W in the other section, thereby preventing unnecessary retention of wafers W in the cup 50. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the occurrence of unnecessary retention of wafers W in different coating treatment units, or the occurrence of variations in the film formation state among wafers W due to the wafers W staying in the same coating treatment unit for different periods of time. It is also possible to more reliably prevent a decrease in the throughput of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0055] However, a single transfer mechanism may be shared among multiple sections as long as unnecessary retention of wafers W can be prevented. In other words, two or more transfer mechanisms may be provided to transfer wafers W along a transfer path from the cup 50 into which a wafer W is first loaded in a series of processes related to the deposition of a certain type of film to the next destination of the wafer W after the cup 50 where the final process related to the film deposition process is performed. These transfer mechanisms may then each transfer wafer W in a different section. For example, transfer mechanism 31 may transfer wafers W to coating processing unit F1, from coating processing unit F1 to F2, and from coating processing unit F2 to F3. Transfer mechanism 32 may then transfer wafers W from coating processing unit F3 to F4, from coating processing unit F4 to F5, and from coating processing unit F5 to tower T2.

[0056] In the example described above, the cup 50 into which the wafer W is first loaded when performing the film forming process is the cup into which the resist coating liquid is supplied, but it is not limited to the cup 50 into which the coating liquid is supplied, and may be a cup 50 for performing pre-processing for forming the film, as will be exemplified later. The transfer path from the cup 50 into which the wafer W is first loaded to the destination of the wafer W after the cup 50 where the final process is performed may include a wafer W placement location other than the spin chuck 51 in the cup 50, as will be described later as a second embodiment.

[0057] In the example described above, the cup 50 in which the final process is performed is the cup 50 in the coating processing unit F5 that performs EBR and backside cleaning, but the EBR and backside cleaning processes do not have to be performed in this case. Therefore, the cup 50 in which the final process is performed does not have to be the cup 50 that performs EBR and backside cleaning, and the cup 50 that rotates at the fourth rotation speed R4 to dry the resist film may be the cup 50 in which the final process is performed.

[0058] The transport mechanisms constituting the transport units 3 and 4 are shown as being equipped with articulated arms, but like other transport mechanisms within the substrate processing apparatus 1, they may also be configured to have a movable base and a wafer W holder that can move back and forth on the base.

[0059] [Processing performed in each coating processing unit] In the example illustrated in the chart of FIG. 8 , the coating processing units F1 and F2 rotate the wafer W at the second rotational speed R2 to uniformize the in-plane film thickness distribution of the wafer W. In other words, the coating processing unit F1 performs the film thickness uniformization process partway through, but the process is not limited to this. It is sufficient that the resist does not fall off the wafer W when the wafer W is transferred from the coating processing unit F1 to the coating processing unit F2. The wafer W is already in this state by the time it is rotated at the second rotational speed R2. Therefore, the wafer W may be transferred to the coating processing unit F2 after the process of rotating the wafer W at the second rotational speed R2 in the coating processing unit F1 is completed. That is, the rotational speed of the wafer W may be increased to the third rotational speed R3 promptly after the start of rotation of the wafer W in the coating processing unit F2.

[0060] In this manner, in the coating processing unit F1, after rotation at the second rotational speed R2 for adjusting the film thickness distribution within the wafer W is initiated, the rotation of the wafer W is stopped and the wafer W is unloaded. It should be noted that the rotation at the second rotational speed R2 refers to the rotation that is continuously performed for adjusting the film thickness distribution. To explain in more detail, let us assume that rotation at the first rotational speed R1 is performed in the coating processing unit F1, and adjustment of the film thickness distribution is initiated in the coating processing unit F2. In this case, the coating processing unit F1 reduces the rotational speed from the state in which the wafer W is being rotated at the first rotational speed R1 to stop the rotation of the wafer W for unloading the wafer W. While the rotational speed is being reduced, the wafer W momentarily rotates at the second rotational speed R2, but this rotation at the second rotational speed R2 during this reduction is not included in the continuous rotation.

[0061] In the coating processing unit F1, after starting rotation at the second rotation speed R2, the length of the period during which rotation is continued at this second rotation speed R2 can be set arbitrarily. After rotation at the second rotation speed R2 in the coating processing unit F1, rotation may be continued up to the stage of rotation at the third rotation speed R3. In the example described above, the coating processing unit F3 switches from the third rotation speed R3 to the fourth rotation speed R4, but the present invention is not limited to switching from the third rotation speed R3 to the fourth rotation speed R4 in the coating processing unit F3.

[0062] A comparative example will be described in which a series of processes from spin coating to EBR and backside cleaning are performed within a single cup 50 from the start of rotation to the stop of rotation of the wafer W. In this comparative example, the time L0 from the start of rotation of the wafer W to the stop of rotation is evenly divided by 5, which is the number of coating treatment units to which the wafer W is transferred. Operations performed within each period divided by 5 may be assigned to the coating treatment units F1, F2, F3, F4, and F5. Note that in each of the coating treatment units F1 to F5, the wafer W is raised from a state in which the rotation speed is 0, and the rotation speed is decreased from a state in which the wafer W is rotating at a predetermined rotation speed to stop the rotation. Because this increase and decrease in the rotation speed requires time, the time L1 required for processing in each of the coating treatment units F1 to F5 (the time from when the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 51 to when the rotation of the spin chuck 51 stops) may be set to be slightly longer than L0 / 5 and the same length among the coating treatment units F1 to F5, taking into account the time required for increasing and decreasing the rotation speed. In addition, when set in this manner, as described above, the time required for EBR and backside cleaning is relatively short, so in the coating processing unit F5 to which the wafer W is finally transported, in addition to these operations, an operation of rotating at the fourth rotation speed R4 may be included, and such an operation of rotating at the fourth rotation speed R4 may also be included.

[0063] In the above description, the coating processing units F1-F5 have been described as requiring the same processing time L1 for wafers W to be processed in each of the coating processing units F1-F5 to prevent unnecessary wafer W retention therein. However, this is not limited to this. As described above, the EBR and backside cleaning processes performed in coating processing unit F5, which is the final processing unit among the coating processing units F1-F5, can be completed in a relatively short time. Furthermore, because coating processing unit F5 is the final processing unit, unloading wafers W from this coating processing unit F5 does not affect the loading and unloading of wafers W into and out of the coating processing units F1-F4. Therefore, the processing time L1 for wafers W may be the same among the coating processing units F1-F4, and the processing time L1 for wafers W in coating processing unit F5 may be shorter than the processing time for wafers W in the coating processing units F1-F4. Furthermore, in consideration of variations in the time required to transport wafers W among transport mechanisms 31 to 35 and among transport mechanisms 41 to 45, the time L1 required to process wafers W does not have to be the same among coating processing units F1 to F4. For example, the difference in the time L1 required to process wafers W among coating processing units F1 to F4 may be set to within one second.

[0064] In the above example, five coating processing units F1 to F5 are provided, and the series of processes from supplying resist to performing EBR and backside cleaning are divided into five, but the number of coating processing units provided is not limited to 4. In other words, the series of processes can be divided into any number of units.

[0065] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the configuration of floors E1 and E2 differs from that of the first embodiment. As in the first embodiment, floors E1 and E2 in the second embodiment have the same configuration, and therefore the configuration of floor E1 will be described as a representative example with reference to the plan view in FIG. 9 and the front view in FIG. 10.

[0066] Of the coating processing units F1 to F5, only F1, F2, and F5 are provided on this floor E1, and these coating processing units are arranged from left to right, as in the first embodiment. Between the coating processing units F2 and F5, two drying units 8 for waiting wafers W are arranged side by side, one behind the other. As will be described in detail later, the drying units 8 are modules for mounting wafers W and drying the resist film after thickness adjustment. The drying units 8 located on the front and rear sides may be referred to as 8A and 8B, respectively, to distinguish them from each other. In a plan view, the drying unit 8A and each cup 50A are arranged in a row horizontally, and the drying unit 8B and each cup 50B are arranged in a row horizontally.

[0067] [Configuration of drying unit 8] The drying section 8 includes a housing 81. Although not shown, the housing 81 of the drying section 8 is provided with a shutter 52 for opening and closing an opening formed for loading and unloading the wafer W, similar to the housing 59 of the coating processing unit F. The opening is closed by the shutter 52 except when necessary to transport the wafer W in and out of the housing 81, and the inside of the housing 81 is made into an airtight space.

[0068] A plurality of stages 82, each capable of mounting a wafer W, are arranged in the vertical direction (i.e., the longitudinal direction) at intervals within the housing 81. An exhaust mechanism 83 including a pump and the like for exhausting the inside of the housing 81 is also provided, and the exhaust mechanism 83 exhausts the inside of the housing 81 to a pressure lower than that outside the housing 81.

[0069] [Transportation and Processing of Wafer W in Second Embodiment] In the second embodiment, the transfer unit 3 and the transfer unit 4 each include five transfer mechanisms (31 to 35, 41 to 45). The transfer unit 3 transfers the wafer W in the following order: temperature adjustment module 17A → transfer mechanism 31 → coating processing unit F1 → transfer mechanism 32 → coating processing unit F2 → transfer mechanism 33 → stage 82 of drying unit 8A → transfer mechanism 34 → coating processing unit F5 → transfer mechanism 35 → tower T2A, and in each coating processing unit, the wafer W is transferred to a cup 50A, as in the first embodiment.

[0070] The transfer unit 4 transfers the wafer W in the following order: temperature adjustment module 17B → transfer mechanism 41 → coating processing unit F1 → transfer mechanism 42 → coating processing unit F2 → transfer mechanism 43 → stage 82 of drying unit 8B → transfer mechanism 44 → coating processing unit F5 → transfer mechanism 45 → tower T2B, and in each coating processing unit, the wafer W is transferred to cup 50B, as in the first embodiment. In this manner, the transfer units 3 and 4 transfer the wafer W between cups 50 of different coating processing units F via the stage 82. Note that the transfer mechanisms 33, 34, 43, and 44 are connected to, for example, an elevation mechanism (not shown), so that the wafer W holders (end effectors) provided on these transfer mechanisms can be elevated and lowered, enabling the wafer W to be transferred to and from the stage 82 at each height.

[0071] In the coating processing unit F1, spin coating is performed by rotating the wafer W at a first rotation speed R1, and film thickness distribution is adjusted by rotating the wafer W at a second rotation speed R2. In the coating processing unit F2, film thickness adjustment is performed by rotating the wafer W at a third rotation speed R3, and this film thickness adjustment is completed in the coating processing unit F2. After this film thickness adjustment is completed, the wafer W is placed on the stage 82, and the resist film is dried. Therefore, in the drying unit 8, a process equivalent to the drying of the resist film performed by rotating the wafer W at a fourth rotation speed R4 in the first embodiment is performed. However, unlike the spin chuck 51, the stage 82 of this drying unit 8 does not rotate. Therefore, the wafer W is kept stationary on the stage 82 while the resist film is dried. The process in the coating processing unit F5 is the same as the process described in the first embodiment.

[0072] [Advantages of providing the drying section 8] It takes a relatively long time to dry the wafer W after film thickness adjustment. Therefore, for example, the time that the wafer W is placed on the stage 82 in the drying unit 8 is set to be longer than the time L1 required for processing in each of the coating processing units F1, F2, and F5. To enable the wafers W sequentially transferred from the coating processing unit F2 to remain and dry for such a relatively long time and to prevent the footprint (occupied floor area) of the drying unit 8 from becoming large, the multiple stages 82 are configured to be aligned vertically as described above. In the second embodiment, the provision of such a drying unit 8 eliminates the need to align multiple cups that rotate the wafers W at the fourth rotation speed R4 in the horizontal direction. This is preferable because it allows the lateral length of the substrate processing apparatus 1 to be shortened.

[0073] In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, an increase in the volume of the liquid supply system can be prevented, thereby achieving high throughput for the substrate processing apparatus 1 while improving processing uniformity among wafers W. Another advantage of the second embodiment is that the resist film is dried without rotating the wafer W after film thickness adjustment, which prevents the centrifugal force of rotation from affecting the shape of the resist film. Specifically, this prevents the resist from concentrating toward the peripheral edge of the wafer W due to centrifugal force, which could result in the film thickness distribution in the radial direction of the wafer W differing from the desired film thickness distribution, or the formation of a protrusion of the film at the peripheral edge of the wafer W, known as a hump.

[0074] In the drying unit 8 described above, the inside of the housing 81 is evacuated and the pressure is reduced relative to the outside of the housing 81, allowing the resist film to dry relatively quickly within the housing 81. This is preferable because it prevents a decrease in the throughput of the apparatus. Accelerating the drying of the resist film in this manner is not limited to creating a reduced-pressure atmosphere within the housing 81. For example, a gas supply mechanism may be connected to the housing 81, and a relatively low-humidity gas, such as air or an inert gas, may be supplied from this gas supply mechanism into the housing 81. This may cause the relative humidity within the housing 81 to be lower than the relative humidity outside the housing 81. The gas supply by this gas supply mechanism may be used in combination with the formation of a reduced-pressure atmosphere by the exhaust mechanism 83 described above. The gas supply mechanism and the exhaust mechanism 83 together constitute a drying acceleration unit that accelerates drying.

[0075] As described above, the stage 82 does not have the function of adjusting the temperature of the wafer W placed thereon, but the drying of the wafer W may be accelerated by placing the wafer W on the stage, which has an adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of the stage as a drying acceleration unit. In the example shown in Fig. 11, hot plates 85 having heating resistors 84 that form the drying acceleration unit are arranged vertically as the stage, thereby configuring the stage as a drying unit 80 that replaces the drying unit 8. The hot plates 85 heat the wafer W to a temperature lower than that of the hot plate of the heating module 22 that performs PAB, specifically, for example, a temperature lower than 100°C.

[0076] As described above, the stage in the drying section is not limited to being placed in a reduced pressure or low humidity atmosphere or configured as a hot plate 85, but may also be configured so that the resist film on the wafer W is naturally dried when the wafer W is placed on it.

[0077] [Example of preprocessing] FIG. 12 illustrates an example of the second embodiment in which a coating processing unit F0 is provided to the left of the coating processing unit F1. As in the examples in the other figures, each transport mechanism is configured, for example, with an articulated arm, but is simplified in this figure. The coating processing unit F0 performs pretreatment as part of the process for forming a resist film. It is configured similarly to the coating processing unit F1, except that a pretreatment liquid is ejected from a nozzle 61 instead of resist. The cups 50A of each coating processing unit F, including the cup 50A of the coating processing unit F0, and the drying section 8A are aligned in a line in a plan view. The cups 50B of each coating processing unit F, including the cup 50B of the coating processing unit F0, and the drying section 8B are aligned in a plan view. The wafer W is transported in the following order: coating processing units F0 → F1 → F2 → drying section 8 → coating processing unit F5. The wafer W then heads to the second intermediate block D4 where PAB is performed. Unlike the example described in Figure 9, the transport sections 3 and 4 are equipped with transport mechanisms 36 and 46 that transport the wafer W from the temperature adjustment modules 17A and 17B (not shown in Figure 12) to the coating processing unit F1, and the transport mechanisms 31 and 41 transport the wafer W from the coating processing unit F1 to the coating processing unit F2.

[0078] The pre-treatment liquid may be, for example, a modifying liquid that modifies the surface of the wafer W before the formation of a resist film in order to increase the wettability of the resist or to increase the adhesion of the resist film, or a liquid for forming a protective film that prevents the formation of a resist film on the peripheral portion of the wafer W. When the pre-treatment liquid is the modifying liquid, it may be supplied to the center of the rotating wafer W to supply it to the entire surface of the wafer W. When the pre-treatment liquid is a liquid for forming a protective film, it may be supplied to the peripheral portion of the rotating transfer to supply it locally to the peripheral portion of the wafer W. The modifying liquid may be, for example, a thinner or an acidic solvent.

[0079] In the first embodiment, as in the second embodiment, a coating processing unit F0 for pre-processing may be provided. Although the coating processing unit F1 has been described as supplying only resist as a liquid, it may also supply pre-processing liquid in addition to resist. Specifically, for example, a nozzle for discharging the pre-processing liquid sent from a supply mechanism for supplying the pre-processing liquid may be provided on the movement mechanism 63.

[0080] [Example of coating equipment] Furthermore, although the substrate processing apparatus 1 has been described as an example configured as a coating and developing apparatus that forms a resist film and develops the resist film, it may also be configured as a coating apparatus that does not perform development. Fig. 13 shows a front view of such a coating apparatus 1A. This coating apparatus 1A will be described, focusing on the differences from the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0081] Each of the levels E1-E3 of the coating apparatus 1A is configured similarly to level E1 described in the first embodiment. A wafer W is transferred from the temperature control module 17 in the first intermediate block D2 to one of levels E1-E3, and then transferred sequentially through the coating processing units F1-F5 to form a resist film, as described above. The wafer W is then transferred to the second intermediate block D4 to receive the PAB. The transfer mechanism 21 then transfers the wafer W to the tower T5 on level E4, and the transfer mechanism 21 transfers the wafer W back to the carrier C via the first intermediate block D2 and the carrier block D1. Therefore, on level E4, the wafer W is transferred from the second intermediate block D4 to the first intermediate block D1 without passing through any processing modules. The coating apparatus 1A described above does not perform development processing, so it is not connected to an exposure machine D6. Therefore, it does not have an interface block D5 for transferring the wafer W to and from the exposure machine D6.

[0082] Although the examples of forming a resist film have been shown so far, this technology can be applied to any coating film that can be formed on a substrate by supplying a coating liquid. Therefore, the coating apparatus 1A is not limited to being configured to form a resist film, and may be configured as an apparatus for forming a coating film such as an anti-reflection film or an insulating film.

[0083] [Other layouts for resist film formation layers] The layout of the story E1 described above is such that the rows of cups 50 are sandwiched between the transport units 3 and 4, which are rows of transport mechanisms, in a plan view. However, this layout is not limited to this; the rows of cups 50 may sandwich the rows of transport mechanisms from the front and rear. FIG. 14 shows a plan view of story E1 having such a layout. Specifically, the transport mechanisms 31-36 constituting the transport unit 3 are arranged side by side as in the first embodiment of FIG. 1, but these transport mechanisms 31-36 are provided in the center of the front and rear of story E1. The coating units F1-F5 are arranged side by side as in the first embodiment of FIG. 1, but two coating units F1-F5 are provided, forming two rows. The rows of coating units F1-F5 are arranged in front of and behind the transport unit 3. That is, as described above, the rows of coating units F1-F5 sandwich the rows of transport mechanisms 31-36 from the front and rear.

[0084] When transferring the wafer W to the front cup 50A in the front coating units F1 to F5, the transfer unit 3 passes over the rear cup 50B in the coating units F1 to F5. When transferring the wafer W to the rear cup 50B in the rear coating units F1 to F5, the transfer unit 3 passes over the front cup 50A in the coating units F1 to F5.

[0085] 14, towers T11 and T12 are provided at the center between the front and rear of the left and right ends of story E1, respectively. Therefore, towers T11 and T12 are located to the left and right of transfer section 3 in a plan view. Transfer mechanism 31 receives wafers W transferred from first intermediate block D2 to tower T11 and transfers them to coating processing unit F1. Transfer mechanism 36 receives wafers W from coating processing unit F5 and transfers them to tower T12, and transfer mechanism 21 in second intermediate block D4 receives wafers W from tower T12.

[0086] In the first and second embodiments described so far, towers T11 and T12 may be provided at positions similar to those of the modified example of Fig. 14, and wafers W may be transferred between blocks via towers T11 and T12. Furthermore, although each of the coating processing units F0 to F5 has two cups 50 arranged in a row, one at the front and one at the back, it may also be configured with three or more cups arranged in a row, or may be configured with only one cup 50.

[0087] Furthermore, in each embodiment, the substrate to be processed is not limited to a wafer, but may be, for example, a substrate for manufacturing a flat panel display or a mask substrate for manufacturing an exposure mask. Therefore, a rectangular substrate may be processed.

[0088] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] W wafer 3, 4 Conveyor section 50 cups 51 Spin Chuck 53 Rotation mechanism 61 nozzles F1~F6 Coating processing units

Claims

1. a plurality of processing units each storing a substrate and rotating the stored substrate; a coating film forming unit that supplies a coating liquid to a surface of the substrate to form a coating film by the rotation, in a first processing unit among the processing units; a transport unit that transports the substrate, on which the coating film has been formed, to a processing unit other than the first processing unit so that the coating film is dried outside the first processing unit, and transports the substrate sequentially between the plurality of processing units so that a process related to the formation of the coating film is performed in each processing unit; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

2. the plurality of processing sections includes a second processing section to which the substrate on which the coating film has been dried is transported, The second processing unit is 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a removing liquid supplying section that supplies a removing liquid to the substrate for removing a portion of the coating film formed on the peripheral edge of the substrate.

3. The conveying unit is 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising two or more transport mechanisms for transporting the substrate along different sections of a transport path formed by the plurality of processing sections and the next destinations of the substrate after the plurality of processing sections.

4. In the first processing unit, rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed to spread the coating liquid on the substrate and form the coating film; continuing to rotate the substrate at a second rotation speed that is smaller than the first rotation speed in order to adjust a film thickness distribution on the substrate; 3. A substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing units other than the first processing unit include a third processing unit in which the substrate is rotated at a third rotation speed greater than the second rotation speed in order to adjust the film thickness of the substrate.

5. The plurality of processing units are arranged side by side, the transport unit transports the substrate sequentially from the processing unit on one side to the processing unit on the other side; 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a heating module for heating the substrate on which the coating film is formed, provided on the other of the left and right sides of the plurality of processing sections.

6. a plurality of stages are provided in a vertical direction, each of which is adapted to place the substrate thereon in order to dry the coating film; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transport unit transports the substrate between the processing units via the stage.

7. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a drying promotion unit that promotes drying of the coating film on the substrate placed on the stage without rotating the substrate.

8. In the first processing unit, rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed to spread the coating liquid on the substrate and form the coating film; continuing to rotate the substrate at a second rotation speed that is smaller than the first rotation speed in order to adjust a film thickness distribution on the substrate; the processing units other than the first processing unit include a third processing unit in which the substrate is rotated at a third rotation speed greater than the second rotation speed in order to adjust a film thickness of the substrate; 8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the substrate is transferred to the stage after being transferred to the third processing section.

9. a step of storing substrates in each of a plurality of processing sections and rotating the stored substrates; a step of supplying a coating liquid to the surface of the substrate by a coating film forming unit in a first processing unit among the processing units, and forming a coating film by the rotation; transporting the substrate, on which the coating film has been formed, by a transport unit toward a processing unit other than the first processing unit so that the coating film is dried outside the first processing unit; transporting the substrate sequentially between the plurality of processing sections by the transport section so that processing related to the formation of the coating film is performed in each processing section; A substrate processing method comprising:

10. rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed in the first processing unit to spread the coating liquid on the substrate and form the coating film; continuously rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed lower than the first rotation speed in order to adjust a film thickness distribution on the substrate in the first processing unit; rotating the substrate at a third rotation speed greater than the second rotation speed in a third processing unit other than the first processing unit to adjust a film thickness of the substrate; The substrate processing method according to claim 9 , comprising:

11. a step of placing the substrates on a plurality of stages arranged in a vertical direction in order to dry the coating film; transporting the substrate between the processing sections via the stage by the transport section; The substrate processing method according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising:

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