SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

Abstract

To improve sensitivity upon exposure in a substrate including a resist material suitable for EUV lithography.SOLUTION: Method of processing substrates include emitting light including vacuum ultraviolet light to a front surface of a substrate having a resist film formed thereon with a resist material for EUV lithography, inside a processing container prior to an exposure process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses an auxiliary exposure device that aims to improve the accuracy or in-plane uniformity of the film thickness or line width of the resist pattern by irradiating ultraviolet light onto a resist film formed on a substrate separately from the exposure process. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-186191 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of improving the sensitivity during exposure of a substrate using a resist material suitable for EUV lithography. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A substrate processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure irradiates a surface of a substrate, on which a resist film made of a resist material for EUV lithography has been formed, with light including vacuum ultraviolet light in a processing container before an exposure process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technique capable of improving the sensitivity during exposure of a substrate using a resist material suitable for EUV lithography. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating an example of the arrangement of light sources in the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the controller. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the controller. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the arrangement of substrate processing apparatuses in a coating and developing apparatus. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional side view illustrating an example of the arrangement of substrate processing apparatuses in a coating and developing apparatus. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a first example of a substrate processing method. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of pressure changes during substrate processing in the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 9] 9(a) and 9(b) are diagrams showing examples of SEM images of resist patterns when the processing contents are changed. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the change in film thickness of the resist film after each treatment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a second example of the substrate processing method. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the change in film thickness of the resist film after each treatment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a third example of the substrate processing method. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of LER versus CD of a resist pattern. [Figure 15] 15(a) to 15(d) are diagrams schematically showing an example of the internal state of the resist film during each process. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a modification of the first example of the substrate processing method. [Figure 17]FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of evaluation of the relationship between the wavelength of light emitted from a light source in a substrate processing apparatus and the sensitivity and the LER improvement rate. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the spectrum of light emitted from a light source in the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a method for changing the spectrum of light emitted from a light source in a substrate processing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Various exemplary embodiments are described below.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment, a substrate processing method irradiates a surface of a substrate, on which a resist film made of a resist material for EUV lithography has been formed, with light including vacuum ultraviolet light in a processing vessel before an exposure process.

[0010] By irradiating the surface of a substrate on which a resist film made of a resist material for EUV lithography has been formed with light containing vacuum ultraviolet light, chemical bonds in the resist film are broken, and as a result, the sensitivity of the resist film when exposed to light is increased.

[0011] The light containing vacuum ultraviolet light may be light containing continuous spectral components in at least a portion of a wavelength band between 100 nm and 200 nm. As described above, by irradiating a resist film with light containing continuous spectral components in at least a portion of a wavelength band between 100 nm and 200 nm, chemical bonds in the resist film are broken at various locations, thereby increasing the sensitivity of the resist film when exposed to light.

[0012] The amount of light per unit area of ​​the substrate surface containing vacuum ultraviolet light may be smaller than the amount of light when irradiating the substrate with light containing vacuum ultraviolet light after the exposure treatment. When irradiating the substrate with light containing vacuum ultraviolet light before exposure, even a smaller amount of light can penetrate the resist film, thereby enhancing the effect of increasing sensitivity.

[0013] The light irradiation may be performed in a state where the temperature of the substrate is approximately equal to the ambient temperature. When the light irradiation is performed in a state where the temperature of the substrate is approximately equal to the ambient temperature, changes in the properties of the resist film due to changes in the temperature of the substrate can be prevented.

[0014] The light containing vacuum ultraviolet light may be irradiated while the processing vessel is under reduced pressure, which promotes penetration of the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light into the resist film, thereby enhancing the sensitivity enhancement effect.

[0015] The present invention may be configured such that the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light is irradiated after the pressure in the processing vessel is increased to a predetermined pressure below atmospheric pressure after the pressure in the processing vessel is reduced to a predetermined vacuum level, and then the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light is irradiated after the pressure in the processing vessel is increased to a predetermined pressure below atmospheric pressure. By irradiating the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light after the pressure in the processing vessel is reduced to a predetermined vacuum level and then the pressure in the processing vessel is increased to a predetermined pressure, degassing (outgassing) from the substrate surface can be suppressed.

[0016] After the irradiation with light containing vacuum ultraviolet light, an exposure process may be performed without a heat treatment, which can prevent excessive heat treatment of the substrate.

[0017] After the irradiation with light containing vacuum ultraviolet light, a heat treatment may be performed before the exposure treatment. By performing the heat treatment before the exposure treatment, the reaction of the resist film on the substrate can be promoted, and insufficient exposure can be prevented.

[0018] The surface of the substrate irradiated with light including vacuum ultraviolet light may be evaluated, and processing conditions for the substrate may be changed according to the evaluation results. As described above, by changing the processing conditions for the substrate according to the evaluation results of the surface of the substrate, it is possible to select appropriate conditions in response to changes in the surface due to irradiation with light including vacuum ultraviolet light, for example.

[0019] The light including the vacuum ultraviolet light emitted from the light source unit can be transmitted through a light adjusting member, and the light can be irradiated onto the surface of the substrate in a state where the variation in the intensity distribution of the light of each wavelength is reduced compared to before the light passed through the light adjusting member. In this case, the light including the vacuum ultraviolet light can be irradiated onto the substrate in a state where the variation in the intensity distribution of the light of each wavelength is reduced compared to before the light passed through the light adjusting member. As a result, the resist film can be irradiated with light in a state where the ratio of light of various wavelengths is more uniform, thereby enhancing the effect of increasing the sensitivity when exposing the resist film.

[0020] In another exemplary embodiment, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing an apparatus to execute the substrate processing method described above.

[0021] In one exemplary embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus includes a processing vessel, a light source unit that irradiates a substrate having a resist film formed thereon using a resist material for EUV lithography with light including vacuum ultraviolet light within the processing vessel, and a control unit that controls the light source unit to irradiate the substrate with the light including vacuum ultraviolet light before exposure processing of the substrate.

[0022] By irradiating the surface of a substrate on which a resist film made of a resist material for EUV lithography has been formed with light including vacuum ultraviolet light emitted from a light source, chemical bonds in the resist film are broken, and as a result, the sensitivity of the resist film when exposed to light is increased.

[0023] The light containing vacuum ultraviolet light may be light containing continuous spectral components in at least a portion of a wavelength band between 100 nm and 200 nm. As described above, by irradiating a resist film with light containing continuous spectral components in at least a portion of a wavelength band between 100 nm and 200 nm, chemical bonds in the resist film are broken at various locations, thereby increasing the sensitivity of the resist film when exposed to light.

[0024] The control unit may be configured to control the light source unit so that the amount of light per unit area of ​​the substrate surface containing the vacuum ultraviolet light is smaller than the amount of light when the substrate surface is irradiated with the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light after the exposure process. When the substrate surface is irradiated with the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light before the exposure process, even a smaller amount of light can penetrate the resist film, thereby enhancing the sensitivity increasing effect.

[0025] The control unit may be configured to control the light source unit so that the light irradiation is performed in a state where the temperature of the substrate is approximately equal to the ambient temperature. When the light irradiation is performed in a state where the temperature of the substrate is approximately equal to the ambient temperature, changes in the properties of the resist film due to changes in the temperature of the substrate can be prevented.

[0026] The control unit may be configured to control the light source unit to irradiate the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light while the processing vessel is depressurized. By irradiating the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light while the processing vessel is depressurized, penetration of the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light into the resist film is promoted, thereby enhancing the sensitivity increasing effect.

[0027] The light source unit may further include a light adjusting member disposed on an optical path to the substrate of the light containing the vacuum ultraviolet light emitted from the light source unit, the light adjusting member receiving the light containing the vacuum ultraviolet light and outputting the light containing the vacuum ultraviolet light to the surface of the substrate in a state in which the variation in the intensity distribution of the light at each wavelength is smaller than before the light passes through the light adjusting member. In this case, by passing the light through the light adjusting member, the substrate can be irradiated with the light containing the vacuum ultraviolet light in a state in which the variation in the intensity distribution of the light at each wavelength is smaller than before the light passes through the light adjusting member. As a result, the resist film can be irradiated with light in a state in which the ratio of light of various wavelengths is more uniform, thereby enhancing the effect of increasing sensitivity when exposing the resist film.

[0028] The substrate processing apparatus may be provided in a stacked portion of the coating and developing apparatus where processing modules are stacked, at a position that is a transport path for the substrate between the resist film forming module and the exposure device. This configuration allows processing by the substrate processing apparatus while transporting the substrate in accordance with the processing sequence for the substrate. Therefore, processing by the substrate processing apparatus can be performed while preventing a decrease in the work efficiency of the coating and developing apparatus.

[0029] Various exemplary embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings, in which the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0030] [Configuration of substrate processing equipment] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram (longitudinal side view) showing a substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 irradiates processing light onto a workpiece W. For example, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is configured to irradiate a resist film or resist pattern formed on the surface of the workpiece W with light containing vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV light). Irradiation of light containing vacuum ultraviolet light by the substrate processing apparatus 1 can improve the sensitivity of these resist films during exposure. Furthermore, irradiation of light containing vacuum ultraviolet light can also improve the surface roughness of the resist pattern obtained by exposure and development processes.

[0031] The workpiece W to be processed is, for example, a substrate, or a substrate on which a film, circuitry, etc. has been formed by undergoing a predetermined process. The substrate included in the workpiece W is, for example, a wafer containing silicon. The workpiece W (substrate) is, for example, disk-shaped, but may have a shape other than a circle, such as a notch or a polygon. The workpiece W to be processed may be a glass substrate, a mask substrate, an FPD (Flat Panel Display), or the like, or may be an intermediate product obtained by subjecting these substrates, etc. to a predetermined process.

[0032] The substrate processing apparatus 1 has a function of irradiating the surface of the workpiece W with processing light L1. As an example, a resist film is formed on an SOC (Silicon-on-Carbon) film on a substrate and an SOG (Silicon-on-Glass) film on the SOC film, and then an exposure and development process is performed to form a resist pattern of a predetermined pattern. The resist pattern is a mask pattern for etching the underlying SOC and SOG films to form patterns in these underlying films. The substrate processing apparatus 1 has a function of improving the roughness of the surface of the resist pattern, for example, by irradiating the surface of the workpiece W on which the resist pattern has been formed with processing light L1. Meanwhile, in this embodiment, a case will be described in which the substrate processing apparatus 1 irradiates the workpiece W with processing light L1 after the resist film has been formed and before the exposure and development process.

[0033] In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the resist material used to form the resist pattern is a material suitable for EUV lithography using an EUV laser as the exposure light source. An EUV laser (Extreme Ultraviolet) is a laser with a wavelength of 13.5 nm. Using the substrate processing apparatus 1, a workpiece W on which a resist film made of a resist material has been formed is irradiated with light containing the VUV light under predetermined conditions. As a result, sensitivity in the subsequent exposure process is improved. Furthermore, the surface roughness of the resist is improved when a resist pattern is formed by exposure and development processes. Furthermore, the surface roughness of a pattern resulting from etching using this resist pattern as a mask can also be improved.

[0034] A description will be given of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a processing chamber 20, a light irradiation mechanism 40 (light source unit), and a controller 100 (control unit).

[0035] The processing chamber 20 includes a housing 21 (processing vessel), a transfer port 22, a rotation support unit 25, a gas supply unit 30, and a gas exhaust unit 35. The housing 21 is, for example, part of a vacuum vessel provided in the atmosphere, and is configured to be able to house a workpiece W transferred by a transfer mechanism (not shown). That is, the housing 21 functions as a processing vessel for performing processing on the workpiece W therein. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, processing is performed on the workpiece W while the workpiece W is stored in the housing 21. A transfer port 22 is formed in a side wall of the housing 21. The transfer port 22 is an opening for transferring the workpiece W into and out of the housing 21. The transfer port 22 is opened and closed by a gate valve 23.

[0036] The rotation support unit 25 has a function of holding and rotating the workpiece W within the housing 21 based on instructions from the controller 100. The rotation support unit 25 has, for example, a holding unit 26 and a rotation drive unit 27. The holding unit 26 supports the central portion of the workpiece W that is placed horizontally with the surface on which the resist pattern 13 is formed facing up, and holds the workpiece W, for example, by vacuum suction or the like. The rotation drive unit 27 has a function of rotating the holding unit 26 that holds the workpiece W together with the workpiece W about a vertical axis A1. The rotation drive unit 27 is, for example, a rotation actuator powered by an electric motor.

[0037] The gas supply unit 30 is configured to supply an inert gas (e.g., argon, nitrogen, etc.) into the housing 21 through a through-hole 21a formed in the housing 21. The gas supply unit 30 has a gas source 30a, a valve 30b, and a pipe 30c. The gas source 30a stores an inert gas and functions as a supply source of the inert gas. The valve 30b operates based on an operation signal from the controller 100 to open and close the pipe 30c. The pipe 30c connects the gas source 30a, the valve 30b, and the through-hole 21a in this order from the upstream side.

[0038] Gas exhaust unit 32 exhausts gas from housing 21 through through-hole 21b formed in housing 21. Gas exhaust unit 32 has vacuum pump 32a and piping 32c. Vacuum pump 32a exhausts gas from inside housing 21. Pipe 32c connects through-hole 21b and vacuum pump 32a.

[0039] The atmosphere adjustment unit 34 can adjust the atmosphere inside the housing 21 to the atmospheric atmosphere via a through-hole 21c formed in the housing 21. The atmosphere adjustment unit 34 has a valve 34b and a pipe 34c. The valve 34b operates based on an operation signal from the controller 100 to open and close the pipe 34c. The pipe 34c can connect the through-hole 21c to the atmospheric atmosphere. In other words, when the valve 34b is opened, the atmosphere inside the housing 21 is adjusted to the atmospheric atmosphere.

[0040] The light irradiation mechanism 40 includes a housing 41, a light source unit 42, and a switch 43. The housing 41 is provided on top of the housing 21. A plurality of light source units 42 are housed within the housing 41. A lamp 44 is provided inside the light source unit 42, and light emitted by the lamp 44 is emitted from below the light source unit 42. A lower end face of the light source unit 42 may be provided within the housing 21, for example.

[0041] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of the light source units 42. In a plan view, the light source units 42 are arranged along two concentric circles centered on the axis A1, which is the rotation axis of the holder 26. Specifically, four light source units 42 are arranged along the inner circle, and eight light source units 42 are arranged along the outer circle, each spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The light source units 42 arranged in this manner irradiate the entire surface of the workpiece W held by the holder 26 with light. The switch 43 switches the illumination of the light source units 42 on and off. The operation of the switch 43 is controlled by the controller 100. The arrangement of the light source units 42 is merely an example and may be modified as appropriate.

[0042] The lamp 44 in the light source unit 42 irradiates light including light in a wavelength range of, for example, 115 nm to 400 nm. As an example, the light source unit 42 irradiates light having a continuous spectrum of 115 nm to 400 nm. "Light having a continuous spectrum" may include light including continuous spectral components in at least a portion of a band (for example, a wavelength width of 10 nm or more) included in the wavelength range of 100 nm to 200 nm (corresponding to the wavelength range of vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV light)).

[0043] The continuous spectrum refers to a spectrum that spreads continuously over a specific wavelength range (in this embodiment, a wavelength width of 10 nm or more), and is a spectrum that is distinguished from a line spectrum (bright line spectrum) at a specific wavelength. As the light that forms a continuous spectrum that includes part of the wavelength range of 100 nm to 200 nm, light that forms a continuous spectrum in the wavelength range of 115 nm to 400 nm described above may be used. The light emitted from the light source unit 42 does not need to be "light that forms a continuous spectrum" over the entire wavelength range, but is light that forms a continuous spectrum over at least a part of the range. For example, the light emitted from the light source unit 42 forms a continuous spectrum in a wavelength range that overlaps with the wavelength range of 100 nm to 200 nm (corresponding to the wavelength range of vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV light)), thereby effectively achieving the effect of the light irradiated from the light source unit 42, which will be described later.

[0044] Vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV light) generally has a wavelength in the range of 10 nm to 200 nm. However, the effect of processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1, i.e., the effect of modifying the resist film, can be enhanced more effectively when VUV light with a longer wavelength of 100 nm or more is used as the light emitted from the light source unit 42. Light with a shorter wavelength (light with a wavelength shorter than 100 nm) has difficulty penetrating the inside of the resist film, and therefore may not be as effective in modifying the entire resist film.

[0045] The main wavelength range of the light emitted from the light source unit 42 may be different from the wavelength of the light used for exposure of the resist film, for example. The wavelength of the light used for exposure is, for example, an EUV laser (Extreme Ultraviolet), which is a laser with a wavelength of 13.5 nm. If light of the wavelength used for exposure of the resist film, i.e., EUV light, is used in the substrate processing apparatus 1, there is a possibility that the exposure processing of the workpiece W will proceed at the timing of processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1. Therefore, it is thought that by setting the main wavelength range of the light emitted from the light source unit 42 to 100 nm or more, it is possible to obtain the effect of light of a wavelength different from exposure by EUV light.

[0046] Furthermore, the light emitted from the light source unit 42 may contain, in addition to VUV light, near-ultraviolet light (near ultraviolet light) having a wavelength longer than that of VUV light. As an example, the light from the light source unit 42 may be configured to contain light in a wavelength band of 160 nm or less. In this way, the light emitted from the light source unit 42 contains at least light in a wavelength range defined as VUV light. For this reason, the light emitted from the light source unit 42 may be referred to as "light containing VUV light."

[0047] The lamp 44 provided in the light source unit 42 may be, for example, a deuterium lamp and may be configured to irradiate VUV light with a wavelength of 200 nm or less. The wavelength of the peak of the continuous spectrum may be, for example, 160 nm or less or 150 nm or more. Furthermore, the light from the light source unit 42 has a peak wavelength of 248 nm or less in its spectrum, thereby enhancing the effect of light in the wavelength range of VUV light contained in the light from the light source unit 42. The light from the light source unit 42 may be light having a continuous spectrum with multiple sub-peaks. The sub-peaks may be 248 nm or less, for example, 160 nm or less. Note that the light from the light source unit 42 is not limited to a continuous spectrum and may contain light of one or more wavelengths in a wavelength range of 115 nm to 400 nm, for example. The phrase "including light in a specific wavelength range" means that the light contains light of one or more wavelengths contained in the wavelength range.

[0048] Because the wavelength range of the spectrum of light irradiated from the light source unit 42 is relatively wide, the resist film on the workpiece W is exposed to light energy of various wavelengths. As a result, various reactions occur on the surface of the resist film. Specifically, chemical bonds at various positions in the molecules constituting the resist film are broken, increasing the sensitivity of the resist film to light exposure. Therefore, exposure is performed appropriately even with a smaller exposure dose. In addition, because various compounds are generated by the above-mentioned breaking of chemical bonds, the orientation of the molecules present in the resist film before light irradiation is eliminated. As a result, the surface free energy of the resist film decreases, and internal stress is reduced. In other words, using the light source unit 42 as a light source tends to increase the surface fluidity of the resist film, which in turn improves the effect of improving surface roughness when a resist pattern is formed.

[0049] The controller 100 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 controls the rotation support unit 25, the gas supply unit 30, the gas exhaust unit 35, and the light irradiation mechanism 40. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the controller 100 has, as functional components (hereinafter referred to as "functional modules"), an irradiation control unit 111, a gas supply control unit 112, an exhaust control unit 113, and an input / output control unit 114. These functional modules are merely a division of the functions of the controller 100 into a plurality of modules for convenience, and do not necessarily mean that the hardware constituting the controller 100 is divided into such modules.

[0050] The irradiation control unit 111 controls the light irradiation mechanism 40 to irradiate light including VUV light at a desired timing. For example, the irradiation control unit 111 controls the light irradiation mechanism 40 to turn on all of the light source units 42 prior to the irradiation timing. Furthermore, the irradiation control unit 111 controls the light irradiation mechanism 40 to turn off all of the light source units 42 after the irradiation timing is completed.

[0051] The gas supply control unit 112 controls the valve 30b to supply the inert gas from the through-hole 21a into the housing 21. The exhaust control unit 113 controls the vacuum pump 35a to exhaust the gas inside the housing 21 to the outside through the through-hole 21b.

[0052] The input / output control unit 115 controls the gate valve 23 to open and close the transport port 22 in response to the loading and unloading of the workpiece W into and from the housing 21, and controls the rotation support unit 25 to switch between holding and releasing the workpiece W by the holding unit 26.

[0053] The controller 100 is configured with one or more control computers. For example, the controller 100 includes a circuit 120 shown in FIG. 4. The circuit 120 includes one or more processors 121, a memory 122, a storage 123, and an input / output port 124. The storage 123 includes a computer-readable storage medium, such as a hard disk. The storage medium stores a program for causing the substrate processing apparatus 1 to execute the substrate processing procedure described below. The storage medium may be a removable medium, such as a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. The memory 122 temporarily stores the program loaded from the storage medium of the storage 123 and the results of calculations performed by the processor 121. The processor 121 executes the program in cooperation with the memory 122 to configure each of the functional modules described above. The input / output port 124 inputs and outputs electrical signals to and from each unit controlled by the controller 100 in accordance with instructions from the processor 121.

[0054] The hardware configuration of the controller 100 is not necessarily limited to configuring each functional module by a program. For example, each functional module of the controller 100 may be configured by a dedicated logic circuit or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that integrates such dedicated logic circuits.

[0055] [Layout of substrate processing equipment] An example of the arrangement of the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an example of a coating and developing apparatus 200 equipped with the substrate processing apparatus 1. The coating and developing apparatus 200 is configured by linearly arranging a carrier block S1 for loading and unloading a carrier C in which, for example, 25 workpieces W are hermetically stored, a processing block S2 for processing the workpieces W, and an interface block S3. An exposure apparatus S4 that performs immersion exposure may be connected to the interface block S3. The coating and developing apparatus 200 may function as a substrate processing system connected to the exposure apparatus S4.

[0056] The carrier block S1 is provided with, for example, a mounting table 201 on which a carrier C is placed, and an opening / closing section 202 provided on the wall surface in front of the mounting table 201. Also provided inside is a transfer arm for removing the workpieces W from the carrier C via the opening / closing section 202, and transferring the workpieces W all at once to a transfer module. Note that a place where the workpieces W can be placed is referred to as a module, and among these modules, a module that performs processing such as heating, liquid processing, gas supply, or edge exposure on the workpieces W is referred to as a processing module. Also, among the processing modules, a module that supplies chemical liquids or cleaning liquids to the workpieces W is referred to as a liquid processing module.

[0057] The processing block S2 connected to the carrier block S1 is configured by stacking first to sixth blocks B1 to B6 in order from the bottom up, which perform liquid processing on the workpiece W. Figure 6 is an example of a schematic vertical cross-sectional side view of the processing block S2. The first unit block B1 and the second unit block B2 are configured similarly, and form an anti-reflection film and a resist film on the workpiece W.

[0058] The third unit block B3 and the fourth unit block B4 are provided with modules for forming a protective film for immersion exposure and cleaning the back side of the workpiece W. Furthermore, the fifth unit block B5 and the sixth unit block B6 are provided with modules for performing development processing on the workpiece W after immersion exposure. In this way, two layers of unit blocks that perform the same processing on the workpiece W are provided. Of these, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided so as to straddle the unit blocks B3 and B4 in the vertical direction.

[0059] Each of the unit blocks B1 to B6 is provided with a liquid processing module, a heating module, a main arm which is a transport means for the unit block, and a transport area where the main arm moves. In each of the unit blocks B1 to B6, the main arm A transports the workpiece W independently of one another and processes it. The transport area is a linear transport path extending from the carrier block S1 to the interface block S3 in the center of the unit blocks B1 to B6. A processing unit 210 shown in FIG. 6 is provided on the right side of the transport area when viewed from the carrier block S1 toward the interface block S3. The processing unit 210 is provided in each of the unit blocks B1 to B6. The processing units 210 in each of the unit blocks B1 to B6 form a stacked section where processing modules are arranged in a stacked manner.

[0060] Specifically, the liquid processing unit 210 of the unit block B1 is provided with anti-reflective coating forming modules BCT1 and BCT2 and resist film forming modules COT1 and COT2. The anti-reflective coating forming modules BCT and resist film forming modules COT each include a rotatable spin chuck 211 that suction-holds the center of the back surface of the workpiece W. A processing cup 212 that prevents the chemical solution from scattering is provided so as to surround the periphery of the spin chuck. The anti-reflective coating forming modules BCT1 and BCT2 may also be provided with a nozzle that is shared by these modules and supplies the chemical solution for forming the anti-reflective coating. The resist film forming modules COT1 and COT2 may be configured similarly to the anti-reflective coating forming modules BCT1 and BCT2, except that the processing solution supplied from the nozzle is a resist solution.

[0061] The liquid processing unit 210 of the second unit block B2 is configured similarly to the first unit block B1 described above, and is provided with anti-reflection film forming modules BCT3 and BCT4 and resist film forming modules COT3 and COT4.

[0062] Furthermore, the third unit block B3 is provided with a substrate processing apparatus 1 instead of the anti-reflective coating forming modules BCT1 and BCT2 in the first unit block B1. Also, it is provided with back surface cleaning modules BST1 and BST2 instead of the resist film forming modules COT1 and COT2. The back surface cleaning modules BST1 and BST2 are provided with nozzles that supply a cleaning solution to the back surface and peripheral bevel portion of the workpiece W, thereby cleaning the back surface of the workpiece W, instead of being provided with nozzles that supply a chemical solution to the front surface of the workpiece W. Apart from these differences, the configuration is the same as that of the anti-reflective coating forming module BCT. Furthermore, the fourth unit block B4 is configured in the same way as the third unit block B3 described above, and is provided with a substrate processing apparatus 1 and back surface cleaning modules BST3 and BST4.

[0063] The fifth unit block B5 has substantially the same configuration as the unit block B1, but differs in that it includes developing modules DEV1 to DEV4 instead of the anti-reflection film forming module BCT1 and the resist film forming module COT. The developing module DEV is configured similarly to the resist film forming module COT, except that it supplies a developer instead of a resist to the workpiece W. The sixth unit block B6 has the same configuration as the unit block B5, and is provided with developing modules DEV5 to DEV8.

[0064] The substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided so as to penetrate vertically through the third unit block B3 and the fourth unit block B4. A space A1 is provided so as to connect the third unit block B3 and the fourth unit block B4, and the processing chamber 20 and the light irradiation mechanism 40 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 are provided in the space A1. The transfer port 22 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided on the central transfer region side. In the third unit block B3 and the fourth unit block B4, a partition wall 220 may be provided between the space A1 in which the substrate processing apparatus 1 is disposed and the space in which the back surface cleaning modules BST1 to BST4 are disposed, to separate the two.

[0065] The substrate processing apparatus 1 is arranged to straddle two unit blocks in the vertical direction where other modules are arranged in two tiers, for example, to ensure a sufficient distance between the workpiece W and the light source unit 42. As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with a light source unit 42 that irradiates the workpiece W with light including VUV light. In this case, if the distance between the light source unit 42 and the workpiece W is short, heat from the light source unit 42 may be transmitted to the workpiece W, potentially increasing the temperature of the workpiece W. Temperature changes in the workpiece W may affect the processing of the workpiece W. Therefore, as described above, a configuration may be adopted in which a larger space (two unit blocks in the vertical direction) is provided in the vertical direction (height direction) than the other modules to ensure a sufficient distance between the workpiece W and the light source unit 42. Furthermore, if an attempt is made to narrow the distance between the light source unit 42 and the workpiece W by weakening the VUV light intensity from the light source unit 42 to a level that does not affect the temperature of the workpiece W, there is a risk that the VUV light output from the light source unit 42 will be unstable and light with the desired wavelength characteristics will not be stably irradiated onto the workpiece W. For this reason, the processing module is provided occupying a greater height range than other processing modules adjacent thereto above, below, or to the left and right.

[0066] The installation position of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is an example and may be changed as appropriate. For example, in the unit blocks B1 and B2, a module for performing heat treatment on the workpiece W may be provided on the opposite side of the central transport area from the resist film formation modules COT1 and COT2. The substrate processing apparatus 1 may be provided at this position. The processing procedure will be described later, but the workpiece W is processed in the substrate processing apparatus 1 after being processed in the resist film formation module COT. Furthermore, after being processed in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the workpiece W is transported to, for example, a back surface cleaning module BST. At least, the workpiece W is processed in the substrate processing apparatus 1 after being processed in the resist film formation module COT and before being transported to the exposure apparatus S4. Therefore, by positioning the substrate processing apparatus 1 at a position corresponding to the transport path of the workpiece W from the resist film formation module COT to the exposure apparatus S4, the efficiency of transporting the workpiece W can be improved.

[0067] [Substrate processing method] Next, a description will be given of a substrate processing method including the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1. In the substrate processing method shown in this embodiment, a workpiece W on which a resist film has been formed is irradiated with light including VUV light before exposure using the substrate processing apparatus 1. Three examples of substrate processing methods including such procedures will be shown below.

[0068] [Substrate processing method-1] First, a first example will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 shows a procedure for forming a resist pattern on a workpiece W as a flow diagram.

[0069] In step S01, a resist liquid is applied to the surface of the workpiece W to form a resist film. The method for forming the resist film is not particularly limited. An underlayer film or the like may be formed on the surface of the workpiece W before the resist film is formed. At this stage, the resist film is formed on the entire surface of the workpiece W.

[0070] In step S02, the surface of the workpiece W on which a resist film has been formed is irradiated with light including VUV light using the substrate processing apparatus 1. Light L1 from the light source unit 42 (light L1 from the lamp 44) is irradiated as VUV light onto the workpiece W held in the housing 21. Light L1 is light including VUV light. In the following embodiments, "light L1 including VUV light" emitted from the light source unit 42 may be simply referred to as "VUV light." The operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in step S02 will be described below.

[0071] FIG. 8 is a graph showing an outline of the change in pressure within the housing 21 over time. The horizontal axis of the graph in FIG. 8 indicates the elapsed time during processing, and the vertical axis indicates the pressure (unit: Pa) within the housing 21, which serves as the processing vessel, and is generally shown as a logarithmic axis. First, with the gas supply unit 30 and the gas exhaust unit 35 stopped, the workpiece W is carried into the housing 21 by the transfer mechanism. Once the workpiece W is placed on the holder 26 of the rotation support unit 25, the gate valve 23 is closed to make the inside of the housing 21 airtight. At this time, the inside of the housing 21 is set to, for example, an atmospheric atmosphere at standard atmospheric pressure (time t0 in FIG. 8). Thereafter, the pressure within the housing 21 is reduced by the operation of the gas exhaust unit 35.

[0072] As the pressure inside the housing 21 decreases to 1 Pa (time t1), this time is maintained for a predetermined period of time. After maintaining the reduced pressure of 1 Pa for a while (time t2), the valve 30b of the gas supply unit 30 is opened and Ar gas is supplied into the housing 21. As a result, an Ar gas atmosphere is formed inside the housing 21, and the pressure inside the housing 21 increases. The rate of pressure reduction and the rate of pressure increase can be controlled by the operation of the gas supply unit 30 and the gas exhaust unit 35. The rate of pressure reduction and the rate of pressure increase may be constant or may be varied midway.

[0073] When the pressure inside the housing 21 reaches 10,000 Pa due to the Ar gas, for example, the light source unit 42 irradiates the workpiece W with light including VUV light while maintaining the pressure inside the housing 21 (time t3). After the light source unit 42 irradiates light for a predetermined time, for example, 30 seconds, the light irradiation is stopped (time t4). Thereafter, the operation of the gas supply unit 30 and the gas exhaust unit 35 is stopped, and after the pressure inside the housing 21 is returned to the atmospheric atmosphere, the workpiece W is unloaded from the housing 21. This completes the processing of the workpiece W by the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0074] The amount of light per unit area when irradiating with light containing VUV light (sometimes referred to as cumulative irradiation amount or dose) is made smaller than when irradiating the surface of the workpiece W with light containing VUV light after irradiating a resist pattern. Specifically, compared to when irradiating the surface of the workpiece W with light containing VUV light after forming a resist pattern by exposure and development processing to improve surface roughness, the irradiation amount of light containing VUV light is adjusted to be 1% to 2%. For example, when irradiating a resist pattern with light containing VUV light, the amount of light containing VUV light is adjusted to be 25 mJ / cm. 2 ~100mj / cm 2 On the other hand, when irradiating a resist film before exposure processing with light including VUV light, the amount of light including VUV light can be adjusted to 1 mJ / cm. 2 ~2mj / cm 2 In this way, when a resist film before exposure processing is irradiated with light containing VUV light, the amount of irradiated light can be adjusted to be small.

[0075] During irradiation with light including VUV light, a temperature rise in the workpiece W may be suppressed. As described above, if the amount of light including VUV light is adjusted to be small and the pressure inside the housing 21 is adjusted to be lower than atmospheric pressure, a temperature rise in the workpiece W itself is prevented. Therefore, the irradiation with light including VUV light described above can be performed when the temperature of the workpiece W is approximately the same as the ambient temperature (e.g., the temperature outside the housing 21). When irradiation is performed when the temperature of the workpiece W is approximately the same as the (external) ambient temperature, changes in the properties of the resist film due to changes in the temperature of the workpiece W are prevented. As an example, the change in temperature of the workpiece W during irradiation with light including VUV light may be suppressed to less than 1°C relative to the ambient temperature (the temperature outside the housing 21, room temperature).

[0076] One method for reducing the amount of light irradiated per unit area of ​​the workpiece W is to reduce the amount of light emitted from the light source unit 42 (by adjusting the current value). Other methods include known methods such as reducing the distance between the surface of the workpiece W and the light source unit 42 (by adjusting the light source unit 42 so that it is farther away from the workpiece W) and shortening the irradiation time. In addition to changing the distance between the surface of the workpiece W and the light source unit 42, the energy of the light reaching the surface of the workpiece W can also be adjusted by changing the pressure around the light path during irradiation of light from the light source unit 42. These methods may be combined to change the amount of light irradiated per unit area, including VUV light.

[0077] As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, when the light source unit 42 irradiates the workpiece W with light, the gas supply unit 30 supplies gas and the gas exhaust unit 35 exhausts gas. Therefore, it can be said that the Ar gas is replaced while the pressure inside the housing 21 is maintained.

[0078] During the irradiation of light from the light source unit 42 (between time t3 and time t4), the pressure inside the housing 21 may be constant or may be gradually changed. In the example shown in FIG. 8, during the irradiation of light from the light source unit 42, the pressure inside the housing 21 is set to 10,000 Pa in order to suppress degassing (outgassing) from the surface of the workpiece W. However, it is conceivable that the amount of degassing generated will gradually decrease while light is being irradiated from the light source unit 42. In this case, the pressure inside the housing 21 may be controlled to be gradually reduced. With this configuration, it is possible to irradiate the workpiece W with light in a state closer to a vacuum.

[0079] In step S03, a heat treatment is performed on the workpiece W after it has been irradiated with light including VUV light. The heat treatment at this stage is a heat treatment on the unsolidified resist film, and is a heat treatment called PAB (Pre Applied Bake).

[0080] In step S04, an exposure process is performed on the workpiece W after the heat treatment (PAB). In the exposure process, an energy beam is irradiated onto an exposure target portion of a resist film formed on the workpiece W using a method such as immersion exposure.

[0081] In step S05, a heat treatment is performed on the workpiece W after the exposure treatment. The heat treatment at this stage is a heat treatment on the unsolidified resist film, and is a heat treatment called PEB (Post Exposure Bake).

[0082] In step S06, a development process is performed on the workpiece W after the heat treatment (PEB). In the development process, a developer is applied to the surface of the workpiece W, and then the developer is washed away with a rinse liquid. This forms a predetermined pattern on the surface of the workpiece W. Note that a post-bake (PB) process may be performed again after the development process. Note that the coating process, heat treatments (PAB, PEB), exposure process, and development process described in step S01 and steps S03 to S06 can be performed using, for example, a substrate processing system including a known coating / developing apparatus and exposure apparatus. As an example, each process may be performed in the coating / developing apparatus 200 described above.

[0083] By carrying out the above series of processes, the exposure sensitivity of the resist film is improved compared to conventional substrate processing methods, and furthermore, the roughness of the resist pattern after exposure and development processing is improved. This point will be explained below.

[0084] Figure 9 shows images showing the change in resist pattern shape with and without step S02. Figure 9(a) is an SEM image showing the state of the resist pattern when step S02 is not performed and other processes are performed, and Figure 9(b) is an SEM image showing the state of the resist pattern when step S02 is performed. The results shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b) are for resist patterns formed under identical manufacturing conditions, including the type of resist material, except for the presence or absence of irradiation with light including VUV light in step S02 and the exposure conditions (effective dose) during pattern formation. An exposure system using a KrF light source was used for exposure. Furthermore, comparing the manufacturing conditions for both methods, it was confirmed that the effective dose during exposure decreased with irradiation with light including VUV light. A smaller effective dose indicates an increase in the sensitivity of the resist film to the irradiated light during exposure. Furthermore, it was confirmed that irradiation with light including VUV light also improved the LER (Line Edge Roughness) and LWR (Line Width Roughness) of the resist pattern. In addition, irradiation with light including VUV light resulted in an improvement of 29.4% in the effective dose (irradiation with light including VUV light reduced the effective dose by 29.4%), while LER improved by 16.5% and LWR improved by 9.2%.

[0085] In this way, it was confirmed that by irradiating the surface of the workpiece W on which a resist film has been formed with light containing VUV light prior to the exposure process, the sensitivity of the resist film during exposure increases, and the roughness of the surface after pattern formation is improved.

[0086] 9(a) and 9(b), Fig. 10 shows the results of evaluating the influence of the presence or absence of step S02. In Fig. 10, the change in the film thickness of the resist film after each step was evaluated for a case where irradiation with light including VUV light (step S02) was not performed (Ref.) and a case where irradiation with light including VUV light (step S02) was performed. Furthermore, for the case where irradiation with light including VUV light was performed, the change in the film thickness of the resist film after each step was evaluated for a case where irradiation with light including VUV light was performed and the irradiation amount (integral irradiation amount per unit area) was 12 mJ / cm 2 and 25mj / cm2 The light L1 emitted from the light source section 42 was light having a continuous spectrum with wavelengths between 10 nm and 400 nm (including VUV light with wavelengths between 10 nm and 200 nm).

[0087] In Figure 10, "COT" refers to the formation of a resist film (corresponding to step S01), and "VUV" refers to the irradiation of light including VUV light (corresponding to step S02). Furthermore, "PAB" refers to the post-exposure baking (corresponding to step S03), specifically, a 60-second heat treatment at 130°C. "PEB" refers to the post-exposure baking (corresponding to step S05), specifically, a 60-second heat treatment at 95°C. Furthermore, "etching" refers to the etching process after resist pattern formation (post-development). The etching conditions were identical, including the use of Ar and CF4 gases as the gases supplied to the processing space, and a processing time of 5 seconds to avoid excessive reduction of the resist film. Note that for the workpiece W that was not irradiated with light including VUV light (step S02), the workpiece W was placed in an environment with pressure changes similar to those occurring when processing step S02, but was not irradiated with light including VUV light.

[0088] According to the results shown in Figure 10, for the workpiece W not irradiated with light including VUV light (step S02), the difference between the film thickness after PEB and the film thickness after etching is approximately 5 mm or more. This suggests that the resist film is thinning during the etching process using the resist pattern. On the other hand, for the workpiece W irradiated with light including VUV light (step S02), the difference between the film thickness after PEB and the film thickness after etching is approximately 5 mm or less, regardless of the exposure dose, indicating that the film thickness is less thin during the etching process. It was also confirmed that the film thickness was reduced by irradiating with light including VUV light (step S02), and that the film thickness was further significantly reduced by the pre-exposure bake (PAB) process after VUV light irradiation (step S02). Note that the results regarding the change in film thickness after each process shown in Figure 10 do not directly correlate with an increase in sensitivity to exposure or an improvement in roughness, but are thought to be useful for estimating changes within the resist film. Details will be described later.

[0089] [Substrate processing method-2] Next, a second example will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 shows a flow diagram of the procedure for forming a resist pattern on a workpiece W. The following description will focus on the differences from the first example.

[0090] In step S11, a resist liquid is applied to the surface of the workpiece W to form a resist film. There are no particular limitations on the method for forming the resist film.

[0091] In step S12, a heat treatment is performed on the workpiece W on which the resist film has been formed. The heat treatment at this stage is a heat treatment on the unsolidified resist film, and is a heat treatment called PAB (Pre Applied Bake).

[0092] In step S13, light including VUV is irradiated onto the surface of the workpiece W on which the resist film has been formed using the substrate processing apparatus 1. The operating procedure of the substrate processing apparatus 1 when irradiating light including VUV light is the same as in the first example.

[0093] In step S14, an exposure process is performed on the workpiece W after it has been irradiated with light including VUV light. In the exposure process, an energy beam is irradiated onto the exposure target portion of the resist film formed on the workpiece W using a method such as immersion exposure.

[0094] In step S15, a heat treatment is performed on the workpiece W after the exposure treatment. The heat treatment at this stage is a heat treatment on the unsolidified resist film, and is a heat treatment called PEB (Post Exposure Bake).

[0095] In step S16, a development process is performed on the workpiece W after the heat treatment (PEB). In the development process, a developer is applied to the surface of the workpiece W, and then the developer is washed away with a rinse liquid. This forms a predetermined pattern on the surface of the workpiece W. Note that a heat treatment (PB: Post Bake) may be performed again after the development process.

[0096] The second example also improves the exposure sensitivity of the resist film and improves the roughness of the resist pattern after exposure and development, compared to conventional substrate processing methods.

[0097] 12, like FIG. 10, shows the results of evaluating the influence of the presence or absence of step S02. In FIG. 12, as in FIG. 10, the change in the film thickness of the resist film after each step was evaluated for a case (Ref.) where irradiation with light including VUV light (step S02) was not performed, and a case where irradiation with light including VUV light (step S02) was performed. Furthermore, assuming that irradiation with light including VUV light was performed, the change in the film thickness of the resist film after each step was evaluated for a case (Ref.) where the exposure dose was 12 mj / cm 2 and 25mj / cm 2 The following was prepared. The explanations for the letters in the figure are also the same. The order of processing is different, so the order of description is different from that in Figure 10.

[0098] In the results shown in FIG. 12, the workpiece W that was not irradiated with light including VUV light (step S02) had a difference of approximately 5 mm or more between the film thickness after PEB and the film thickness after the etching process. In other words, it is thought that the film thickness loss of the resist film is demagnetized when performing the etching process using the resist pattern. On the other hand, the workpiece W that was irradiated with light including VUV light (step S02) had a difference of approximately 5 mm or less between the film thickness after PEB and the film thickness after the etching process, regardless of the exposure dose, indicating that the film thickness loss during the etching process was small. It was also confirmed that the film thickness was reduced by irradiating with light including VUV light (step S02), and that the film thickness was significantly reduced by the post-exposure bake (PEB) process after irradiating with light including VUV light (step S02).

[0099] The results shown in Figures 10 and 12 confirm that irradiation with light containing VUV light reduces film loss during etching compared to when irradiation is not performed. These results confirm that irradiation with light containing VUV light improves etching resistance. Meanwhile, the results shown in Figure 8 confirm that film loss after PAB is greater, while the results shown in Figure 10 confirm that film loss after PEB is greater. This confirms that etching resistance improves with irradiation with light containing VUV light, regardless of the order of PAB and irradiation with light containing VUV light.

[0100] 10 and 12, irradiation with light containing VUV light reduces the film thickness compared to when irradiation with light containing VUV light is not performed. Furthermore, according to the results shown in FIG. 10, the film thickness reduction (volume shrinkage) caused by performing a post-annealing (PAB) process after irradiation with light containing VUV light is greater than that caused by other processes. Furthermore, according to the results shown in FIG. 12, the film thickness reduction (volume shrinkage) caused by performing a post-annealing (PEB) process after irradiation with light containing VUV light is greater than that caused by other processes. Considering these phenomena, when light containing VUV light is irradiated, the film thickness reduction due to subsequent heating is greater, so it may be possible to reduce the number of heat treatments performed on the resist film in the series of processes.

[0101] [Substrate processing method-3] Next, a third example will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 shows a flow diagram of the procedure for forming a resist pattern on a workpiece W. The third example differs from the first example in that "PAB" is not performed.

[0102] That is, in step S21, a resist liquid is applied to the surface of the workpiece W to form a resist film. The method for forming the resist film is not particularly limited.

[0103] In step S22, light including VUV light is irradiated onto the surface of the workpiece W on which the resist film has been formed using the substrate processing apparatus 1. The operating procedure of the substrate processing apparatus 1 when irradiating light including VUV light is the same as in the first example.

[0104] In step S23, an exposure process is performed on the workpiece W after it has been irradiated with light including VUV light. In the exposure process, an energy beam is irradiated onto the exposure target portion of the resist film formed on the workpiece W using a method such as immersion exposure.

[0105] In step S24, a heat treatment is performed on the workpiece W after the exposure treatment. The heat treatment at this stage is a heat treatment on the unsolidified resist film, and is a heat treatment called PEB (Post Exposure Bake).

[0106] In step S25, a development process is performed on the workpiece W after the heat treatment (PEB). In the development process, a developer is applied to the surface of the workpiece W, and then the developer is washed away with a rinse liquid. This forms a predetermined pattern on the surface of the workpiece W. Note that a heat treatment (PB: Post Bake) may be performed again after the development process.

[0107] In the third example described above, compared to conventional substrate processing methods, irradiation with light including VUV light improves the exposure sensitivity of the resist film, and further improves the roughness of the resist pattern after exposure and development processing.

[0108] Furthermore, in the third example, by reducing the number of times of heat treatment, not only can the exposure sensitivity be increased by irradiation with light including VUV light, but also the effect of improving roughness in the resist pattern can be enhanced.

[0109] In order to irradiate the workpiece W coated with the resist liquid with light including VUV light, after the workpiece W is carried into the space within the housing 21, the pressure may be reduced to reduce the oxygen concentration within the space before irradiating the workpiece W with light including VUV light from the light source unit 42. This promotes the volatilization of the solvent in the resist liquid, further accelerating the penetration of the VUV light into the resist film as described above.

[0110] Furthermore, if the resist solution loses its fluidity and solidifies enough to allow a pattern to be formed by exposure and development, and the irradiation process with light including VUV light is completed in this state, it is possible to avoid performing PAB as described above. In this case, the application of excessive heat energy before exposure can be prevented as described above, and time can be shortened by reducing the number of processes.

[0111] On the other hand, as described above, the PAB may be performed on the workpiece W depending on the purpose, such as by providing auxiliary thermal energy depending on the state of the resist after irradiation with light including VUV light, or by using it as an additional means of controlling the resist film quality before exposure.

[0112] FIG. 14 shows the measurement results of LER versus line width (CD: Critical Dimension) of the resist pattern when the third example was implemented. That is, it evaluates how the roughness (LER) of the resist pattern changes when a resist pattern is formed to have each line width. FIG. 14 shows LER versus CD when irradiating with light including VUV light and when no pre-exposure bake (PAB) is performed (similar to the procedure shown in FIG. 13). Also, FIG. 14 shows the cases without PAB and with PAB when irradiating with light including VUV light (Ref.) is not performed.

[0113] According to the results shown in Figure 14, when comparing the two results for the case where irradiation with light including VUV light was not performed (Ref.), it was confirmed that performing pre-exposure bake (PAB) increased the LER at each line width. On the other hand, it was confirmed that irradiation with light including VUV light further improved the LER compared to the case where irradiation with VUV light was not performed (Ref.) and pre-exposure bake (PAB) was not performed. In this way, it was confirmed that irradiating the resist film with light including VUV light before forming the resist pattern improved the LER of the resist pattern.

[0114] 14, it was confirmed that the LER for each line width of the resist pattern was improved even when the pre-exposure bake (PAB) was omitted. That is, it was confirmed that a resist pattern with improved surface roughness could be obtained when the resist pattern was formed based on the method shown in the third example.

[0115] [Study on the effects of irradiation with light including VUV light] As explained in the above embodiment, it has been confirmed that when a resist film is irradiated with light containing VUV light before the exposure process of the resist film, the sensitivity during exposure is improved. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that the etching resistance of the resist pattern obtained by the exposure and development process is improved and the surface roughness is improved. The background to the above-mentioned effects of irradiation with light containing VUV light on the resist film and resist pattern will be described with reference to FIG. 15.

[0116] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the internal state of the resist film R at each step in the process of forming a resist pattern. FIG. 15(a) shows the state of the resist film formed on the workpiece W. FIG. 15(b) shows the state of the resist film after irradiation with light including VUV light. FIG. 15(c) shows the state of the resist film after exposure. FIG. 15(d) shows the state of the resist film after post-exposure bake (PEB).

[0117] Resist materials used to form resist films for EUV lithography may, for example, consist of a polymer (high molecular weight), an acid generator (photosensitive agent), and a quencher (base) dispersed in a solvent. When resist materials comprised of these components are exposed to light, the acid generator decomposes, ultimately generating acid, which transfers the mask information to the resist as an acid image. It is known that post-exposure baking (PEB) then promotes an acid-catalyzed reaction.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 15(a), when the resist film R is formed, so-called layer separation occurs within the film, with the polymer C1, acid generator C2, and quencher C3 residing in the upper layer compared to the lower layer. Meanwhile, the light from the light source 42 irradiated onto the resist film can penetrate deeper (lower) layers of the resist film if its intensity is greater as the wavelength increases. However, because the peak wavelength of part of the spectrum of the light irradiated from the light source 42 is within the VUV light band (10 nm to 200 nm) as described above (more precisely, it includes light in the 100 nm to 200 nm wavelength band), the intensity of light with relatively long wavelengths irradiated from the light source 42 is low. Therefore, only a small amount of light irradiated from the light source 42 reaches the deeper layers of the resist film. In other words, both light with short and long wavelengths reach the surface layer (upper layer) where each component of the resist material is present in large amounts, while only light with long wavelengths reaches the deeper layer (lower layer) where each component of the resist material is present in small amounts. The resist film as a whole is irradiated with light containing VUV light at each portion to an extent that corresponds to the distribution of the components of the resist material.

[0119] FIG. 15(b) shows the reaction state of the resist film R due to irradiation with light including VUV light. When irradiated with VUV light, the polymer main chain is decomposed (cut), thereby alleviating the stress in the resist film R. Meanwhile, the acid generator C2 in the resist film R is decomposed by irradiation with VUV light, generating acid (H+). Note that irradiation with light including VUV light is performed between time t3 and time t4 in FIG. 3. After that (after time t4), the inside of the housing 21 is returned to the atmospheric air. At this time, the acid (H+) generated in the resist film R moves within the film due to changes in stress within the film caused by changes in the surrounding atmosphere. As a result, the acid begins to diffuse within the resist film R.

[0120] Furthermore, a crosslinking reaction occurs in the resist film during and after irradiation with light, including VUV light. This hardens the surface of the resist film, resulting in increased etching resistance. Furthermore, when processing is performed in the substrate processing apparatus 1, processing is performed under a vacuum state compared to atmospheric pressure, as shown in FIG. 8. Therefore, it is believed that some of the solvent inside the resist film will fly outward from the resist film R during processing.

[0121] 15(c) shows the reaction state of the resist film R due to exposure. The light irradiated during exposure further promotes the cross-linking reaction in the resist film R. As a result, hardening progresses in the area of ​​the resist film R that will become the surface of the pattern.

[0122] Figure 15(d) shows the state in which acid (H+) is generated in the resist film R by post-exposure bake (PEB), and deprotection of the protecting group B1 progresses. Development is performed under this condition. The developer used in the development process is thought to have a hydrated structure with water molecules. Therefore, it is thought that the developer easily binds to the polar moiety (deprotected group B2), and therefore it is thought that it easily penetrates into the resist film R when there are many polar moieties. Furthermore, when acid (H+) is diffused within the resist film R, the developer easily penetrates into areas where there is a large amount of acid. In other words, as deprotection progresses, the number of polar moieties (deprotected groups) increases, making it easier for the developer to penetrate. Furthermore, the developer easily penetrates into the film even when a large amount of solvent remains in the resist film R.

[0123] When exposure and development are performed without post-annealing (PAB) after irradiation with VUV light, the proportion of solvent remaining in the entire resist film R is thought to be high. Therefore, it can be assumed that the permeability of the developer is increased. However, in reality, LER has been confirmed to be improved (Figure 14). From this, it can be said that when irradiating with VUV light, sufficient crosslinking reactions and decomposition reactions caused by VUV light, which cause stress relaxation in the film, are progressing to form a resist pattern with improved roughness, even without post-annealing (PAB). Therefore, even if post-annealing (PAB) is omitted after irradiation with VUV light, the etching resistance of the resist pattern is improved and roughness is improved.

[0124] Even when the resist film R is irradiated with light containing VUV light after pre-exposure heat treatment (PAB) as in the second example, the decomposition of the main chain, diffusion of acid (H+), and progression of the crosslinking reaction may be accelerated by the irradiation with light containing VUV light. Therefore, as described in the description of Figure 9, the sensitivity to exposure may increase. However, in addition to the evaporation of the solvent inside the resist film R during the heat treatment (PAB), the evaporation of solvent may also occur during the irradiation with light containing VUV light. Therefore, during the development process, the internal solvent level is very low overall, regardless of whether or not the resist film R is irradiated with light during exposure. This makes it easier for the developer to penetrate the entire resist film R, which may result in collapse of the resist pattern. This also applies when the heat treatment (PAB) is performed after irradiation with light containing VUV light. Therefore, when performing the heat treatment (PAB), it is necessary to consider this when setting the conditions for each process. Considering that the crosslinking reaction partially progresses upon irradiation with VUV light as described above, performing the heat treatment (PAB) after irradiation with light containing VUV light is considered to suppress evaporation of the solvent from the entire resist film R. Therefore, it is believed that the resistance of the resist pattern can be improved by performing a thermal annealing (PAB) after irradiation with light including VUV light, as shown in the first example above. Note that, since it is believed that evaporation of the solvent due to heating can be suppressed by performing the thermal annealing (PAB) at a low temperature for a short time, it is believed that even when performing the thermal annealing (PAB), the effect on the resist film can be adjusted by adjusting the heating conditions.

[0125] [Example of changing substrate processing method] Fig. 16 shows a modified example of the substrate processing method. Compared to the first example described above, the modified example shown in Fig. 16 adds a process of changing the heating conditions in response to changes in the resist film surface caused by irradiation with light including VUV light. Therefore, only the modified points will be briefly explained.

[0126] In step S31, a resist liquid is applied to the surface of the workpiece W to form a resist film. As a result, a resist film is formed on the entire surface of the workpiece W.

[0127] In step S32, light including VUV light is irradiated onto the surface of the workpiece W on which a resist film has been formed using the substrate processing apparatus 1. Light L1 including VUV light from the light source unit 42 is irradiated onto the workpiece W held in the housing 21.

[0128] In step S33, an evaluation is performed on the surface of the workpiece W after irradiation with VUV light. In step S34, the heating conditions are adjusted according to the evaluation results of the surface of the workpiece W.

[0129] As an example, in step S33, the change in the film thickness of the resist film is measured. As described above, the extent to which the internal changes due to the VUV light are evaluated based on, for example, the amount of film thickness reduction. Then, based on the results, the conditions for the subsequent heating process are adjusted. Examples of the adjustments include whether or not to perform a pre-exposure bake (PAB), and the heating temperature and heating time when performing the PEB. Note that the heating conditions for the post-exposure bake (PEB) may also be adjusted.

[0130] Step S35 and subsequent steps are performed based on the results of adjusting the heating conditions (step S34). In step S35, a heat treatment is performed on the workpiece W after it has been irradiated with light including VUV light. The heat treatment at this stage is a heat treatment on the unsolidified resist film, and is a heat treatment called PAB (Pre Applied Bake).

[0131] In step S36, an exposure process is performed on the workpiece W after the heat treatment (PAB). In the exposure process, an energy beam is irradiated onto an exposure target portion of a resist film formed on the workpiece W using a method such as immersion exposure.

[0132] In step S37, a heat treatment is performed on the workpiece W after the exposure treatment. The heat treatment at this stage is a heat treatment on the unsolidified resist film, and is a heat treatment called PEB (Post Exposure Bake).

[0133] In step S38, a development process is performed on the workpiece W after the heat treatment (PEB). In the development process, a developer is applied to the surface of the workpiece W, and then the developer is washed away with a rinse liquid. This forms a predetermined pattern on the surface of the workpiece W. Note that a heat treatment (PB: Post Bake) may be performed again after the development process.

[0134] When processing is performed according to the procedure shown in Figure 16, the heat treatment can be performed while taking into account the effects of VUV light, making it easier to prevent, for example, collapse of the resist pattern and deterioration of roughness that can occur due to excessive heat treatment.

[0135] Instead of adding steps S33 and S34, the conditions of the preceding series of processes may be changed by, for example, evaluating the workpiece W after processing (after forming the resist pattern). As an example, the uniformity of the line width of the resist pattern may be measured or estimated, and various exposure conditions or the irradiation time and dose of VUV light may be adjusted based on the results.

[0136] [Relationship between wavelength distribution of light including VUV light and its effects] The light irradiated onto the workpiece W in the substrate processing apparatus 1, i.e., the light emitted from the light irradiation mechanism 40, is light that includes vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV light) as described above. The wavelength of the light emitted from the light irradiation mechanism 40 can be closely related to improving the sensitivity when exposing the resist film and improving the uniformity of the line width in the resist pattern. This point will be explained with reference to FIG. 17.

[0137] FIG. 17 shows the results of evaluating the relationship between the improvement rate (increase rate) of sensitivity of the resist film to irradiated light during exposure and the improvement rate of LER (Lin Edge Roughness) for the resist pattern. In particular, FIG. 17 shows the results when the wavelength of light emitted from the light source unit 42 (lamp 44) is limited to a specific wavelength. Specifically, the results are shown for three patterns: when the wavelength range of the light emitted from the light source unit 42 is greater than 165 nm, 125 to 160 nm, and 115 to 400 nm. The wavelength range of 115 to 400 nm is a condition in which a deuterium lamp normally used as the lamp 44 is used as is. On the other hand, when the wavelength range is greater than 165 nm and when it is 125 to 160 nm, the wavelength range is adjusted by passing the light emitted from the deuterium lamp through a filter (e.g., a bandpass filter) that transmits only a predetermined wavelength range. For light of each wavelength, the light irradiation dose (light amount of light including VUV light) was 0.3 mJ / cm. 2 ~2mj / cm 2 In all results, there is a tendency that the rate of improvement in sensitivity increases as the amount of light increases.

[0138] According to the results shown in FIG. 17, in the wavelength range of 115 nm to 400 nm, which is the condition when a deuterium lamp is used as is, the light irradiation amount (light amount of light including VUV light) is 0.5 mj / cm 2 ~1.1mj / cm 2 When the sensitivity is changed to a certain extent, the sensitivity gradually increases. On the other hand, the improvement rate of LER decreases while the sensitivity gradually increases. This tendency is also observed in the other two results.

[0139] On the other hand, when the wavelength range of the light emitted from the light source unit 42 is greater than 165 nm, the amount of light irradiation (amount of light including VUV light) is set to 0.6 mj / cm 2 ~1.9mj / cm 2When the wavelength range of the light emitted from the light source unit 42 is 125 nm to 160 nm, the light irradiation amount (light amount of light including VUV light) is changed to 0.3 mj / cm 2 ~0.6mj / cm 2 When the wavelength of the irradiated light is changed to about 165 nm, the sensitivity gradually increases while the LER improvement rate decreases. However, comparing these two results, it was confirmed that when the wavelength range of the irradiated light is greater than 165 nm, the LER improvement rate relative to the sensitivity increase rate is significantly lower than when the wavelength range of the irradiated light is 125 nm to 160 nm. Furthermore, when the wavelength range of the irradiated light is 125 nm to 160 nm, the LER improvement rate is 0% or higher until the sensitivity improvement rate (increase rate) reaches about 35%, confirming that both the increase in sensitivity and the improvement in LER are achieved. In other words, when the wavelength range of the irradiated light is 125 nm to 160 nm, the sensitivity can be improved to a high level of about 35% without deteriorating the LER. In particular, when the wavelength range of the irradiated light is 125 nm to 160 nm, the LER improvement rate is higher under the same sensitivity increase rate than when the wavelength range is 115 nm to 400 nm (deuterium lamp). This confirms that when the wavelength range of the irradiated light is 125 nm to 160 nm, both the sensitivity and LER are improved.

[0140] The above results will be examined with reference to the example spectrum shown in FIG. 18. Spectrum Sp1 shown in FIG. 18 is a schematic representation of the wavelength range of 100 nm to 220 nm of the spectrum of a deuterium lamp typically used in the light source unit 42. As shown in spectrum Sp1, the deuterium lamp has a large peak near a wavelength of 160 nm. Therefore, when viewed as the entire irradiation light emitted from the light source unit 42, the components in this wavelength range that make up the peak near a wavelength of 160 nm are contained most abundantly. Furthermore, although light in other wavelength ranges is included in the light emitted from the light source unit 42, its proportion relative to the entire irradiation light is low.

[0141] On the other hand, spectrum Sp2 is a schematic representation of the spectrum of light after passing through a filter so that the wavelength range of the irradiated light is 125 nm to 160 nm, among the evaluation results shown in FIG. 17. Spectrum Sp2, which is also due to the characteristics of the filter, has a smaller light peak near the wavelength of 160 nm compared to spectrum Sp1. As a result, the light components in the wavelength range of 125 nm to 160 nm are more uniform to a certain extent. That is, the light intensities of each wavelength are closer. In other words, when viewed as a whole, the irradiated light emitted from the light source unit 42 has a lower proportion of components in that wavelength range that constitute the peak near the wavelength of 160 nm, and a higher proportion of components in other wavelength ranges.

[0142] As explained with reference to FIG. 15 , irradiation with light containing VUV light can promote decomposition of the main chain, diffusion of acid (H+), and the progression of the crosslinking reaction. Furthermore, the longer the wavelength of the light from the light source unit 42 irradiating the resist film, the greater its intensity and the deeper (lower) layers of the resist film it can reach. Therefore, when light containing VUV light is included in a larger amount of light with a longer wavelength band, the entire resist film can be irradiated. On the other hand, since the improvement in LER is due to the hardening of the resist film at its surface, to achieve more significant modification of the resist film surface by the irradiated light, it is necessary to promote the reaction in the resist film near the surface. Therefore, it is considered important for the irradiated light to contain a large amount of short-wavelength components in order to achieve both improved sensitivity and improved LER. Therefore, considering both improved sensitivity and improved LER, it is considered more effective to use irradiated light with a shape like that shown in spectrum Sp2, i.e., with a smaller bias in the distribution of light at each wavelength, rather than a shape like that shown in spectrum Sp1.

[0143] One possible method for reducing the bias in the light distribution for each wavelength in the light emitted from the light source unit 42 and irradiated onto the workpiece W is to change the lamp 44 to one that matches its characteristics. Another possible method, as shown in FIG. 19 , is to irradiate the workpiece W with light emitted from the light source unit 42 after passing it through a filter 50 (light adjustment member) that adjusts the transmittance of light for each wavelength. The filter 50 has the characteristic of increasing the proportion of light components with wavelengths shorter than 160 nm in light containing VUV light, as in the above-mentioned spectrum Sp2, thereby reducing the proportion of light components with wavelengths around 160 nm. Using such a filter 50, the characteristics of the light emitted from the lamp 44 may be further modified (the spectral shape may be changed) to further improve sensitivity and LER, and then irradiated onto the workpiece W. In this case, it is believed that the effect of irradiating light containing vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV light) can be enhanced.

[0144] 19 illustrates a filter 50 as an example of the light adjustment member, but this configuration can be changed. For example, when a transmission window 21x that transmits light L1 from the light source unit 42 is provided in the housing 21 of the processing chamber 20, the transmission window 21x may be made to function as the light adjustment member. In other words, the transmission window 21x may be made of a member made of a material that changes the transmittance of light for each wavelength so that the characteristics of light passing through the transmission window 21x change in the same way as when light passes through the filter 50. The manner in which the light adjustment member is provided can be changed depending on the configuration and arrangement of the light source unit 42.

[0145] [Effect] As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the substrate processing method, before exposure processing, the surface of a substrate (workpiece W) on which a resist film made of a resist material for EUV lithography is formed is irradiated with light including vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV light) in the housing 21, which serves as a processing container. By irradiating the surface of the substrate on which a resist film made of a resist material for EUV lithography is formed with light including vacuum ultraviolet light, chemical bonds in the resist film are broken, and as a result, the sensitivity of the resist film when exposed to light is increased.

[0146] The light containing vacuum ultraviolet light may be light containing continuous spectral components in at least a portion of the wavelength band of 100 to 200 nm. As described above, by irradiating a resist film with light containing continuous spectral components in at least a portion of the wavelength band of 100 to 200 nm, chemical bonds in the resist film are broken at various locations, thereby increasing the sensitivity of the resist film when exposed to light.

[0147] The amount of light per unit area of ​​the substrate surface containing vacuum ultraviolet light can be smaller than the amount of light when irradiating the resist film with light containing vacuum ultraviolet light after exposure processing. When irradiating the resist film with light containing vacuum ultraviolet light before exposure, even a smaller amount of light can penetrate the resist film, thereby enhancing the effect of increasing sensitivity to exposure.

[0148] The substrate may be irradiated with light at a temperature substantially equal to the ambient temperature outside the processing chamber, for example. When the substrate is irradiated with light at a temperature substantially equal to the ambient temperature, changes in the properties of the resist film caused by changes in the substrate temperature can be prevented.

[0149] The irradiation of light containing vacuum ultraviolet light may be performed with the processing vessel under reduced pressure. By irradiating light containing vacuum ultraviolet light with the processing vessel under reduced pressure, the penetration of light containing vacuum ultraviolet light into the resist film is promoted, thereby enhancing the sensitivity enhancement effect. After the processing vessel is depressurized to a predetermined vacuum level, the pressure in the processing vessel may be increased to a predetermined pressure below atmospheric pressure, and then the irradiation of light containing vacuum ultraviolet light may be performed. This configuration can suppress degassing (outgassing) from the substrate surface.

[0150] For example, after irradiation with light including vacuum ultraviolet light, exposure treatment may be performed without heat treatment. By performing exposure treatment without heat treatment, excessive heat treatment on the substrate can be prevented.

[0151] As another example, a heat treatment may be performed after irradiation with light including vacuum ultraviolet light and before exposure. By performing the heat treatment before exposure, the reaction of the resist film on the substrate can be promoted and insufficient exposure can be prevented.

[0152] The light including vacuum ultraviolet light emitted from the light source unit 42 may be passed through a member such as a filter 50 serving as a light adjusting member, so that the variation in the intensity distribution of light of each wavelength is reduced compared to before passing through, and then irradiated onto the surface of the substrate. In this case, by passing through the light adjusting member, the light including vacuum ultraviolet light can be irradiated onto the substrate in a state in which the variation in the intensity distribution of light of each wavelength is reduced compared to before passing through. As a result, the resist film can be irradiated with light in a state in which the ratio of light of various wavelengths is more uniform, thereby enhancing the effect of increasing sensitivity when exposing the resist film.

[0153] Furthermore, as explained as a modified example, the surface of a substrate irradiated with light including vacuum ultraviolet light may be evaluated, and the processing conditions for the substrate may be changed according to the evaluation results. As described above, by changing the processing conditions for the substrate according to the evaluation results of the substrate surface, it is possible to select appropriate conditions, for example, in response to changes in the surface due to irradiation with light including vacuum ultraviolet light. Furthermore, the substrate to be evaluated may be a substrate after irradiation with light including vacuum ultraviolet light but before heating, as shown in FIG. 14, or a substrate on which a resist pattern has been formed after exposure and development processing. In the latter case, the changes may be reflected in the processing conditions for the next substrate to be processed.

[0154] The substrate processing apparatus 1 may be provided in a stacked portion in the coating and developing apparatus 200 where processing modules are stacked, at a position that serves as a substrate transport path between the resist film formation module COT and the exposure apparatus S4. With this configuration, processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be performed while transporting the substrate in accordance with the processing sequence for the substrate. Therefore, processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be performed while preventing a decrease in work efficiency in the coating and developing apparatus 200.

[0155] Although various exemplary embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made. Furthermore, elements in different embodiments may be combined to form other embodiments.

[0156] For example, the arrangement and number of light source units 42 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, a member for controlling the path of light emitted from the light source units 42 may be added. Furthermore, the arrangement and configuration of each unit in the substrate processing apparatus 1 can also be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the pressure control described in the above embodiment is merely an example, and the pressure control inside the housing 21 can be changed, including the stage before the light is irradiated from the light source units 42.

[0157] From the foregoing, it will be understood that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0158] 1...substrate processing apparatus, 13...resist pattern, 20...processing chamber, 21...housing, 22...transfer port, 23...gate valve, 25...rotation support part, 26...holding part, 27...rotation drive part, 30...gas supply part, 32...gas exhaust part, 34...atmosphere adjustment part, 40...light irradiation mechanism, 41...housing, 42...light source part, 44...lamp, 100...controller, 200...coating and developing apparatus

Claims

1. By transmitting light including vacuum ultraviolet light emitted from a light source unit through a light adjustment member, a ratio of an intensity of a first wavelength range constituting a peak intensity of the light including the vacuum ultraviolet light after the light has passed through the light adjusting member is made lower than a ratio of an intensity of the first wavelength range before the light has passed through the light adjusting member; a ratio of an intensity of a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range of the light including the vacuum ultraviolet light after the light has passed through the light adjusting member is made higher than a ratio of an intensity of the second wavelength range of the light including the vacuum ultraviolet light before the light has passed through the light adjusting member; reducing the variation in intensity distribution of light of each wavelength compared to before passing through the light adjusting member; irradiating a surface of a substrate on which a resist film made of a resist material for EUV lithography has been formed in a processing vessel with light including the vacuum ultraviolet light transmitted through the light adjusting member before an exposure process; A substrate processing method comprising:

2. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light is light containing continuous spectral components in at least a part of a band included in a wavelength range of 100 nm to 200 nm.

3. 3. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation of the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light is performed in a state in which the temperature of the substrate is approximately equal to an ambient temperature.

4. 4. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light is irradiated while the processing vessel is kept under reduced pressure.

5. 5. The substrate processing method according to claim 4, wherein the light including vacuum ultraviolet light is irradiated in a state in which the pressure inside the processing vessel is increased to a predetermined pressure that is equal to or lower than atmospheric pressure after the interior of the processing vessel is depressurized to a predetermined vacuum level.

6. 6. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein after the irradiation with light containing vacuum ultraviolet light, an exposure process is carried out without carrying out a heat treatment.

7. 6. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein a heat treatment is performed after the irradiation with light containing vacuum ultraviolet light and before an exposure treatment.

8. 8. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, further comprising: evaluating the surface of the substrate irradiated with the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light; and changing processing conditions for the substrate according to the evaluation result.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing an apparatus to execute the substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A processing vessel; a light source unit configured to irradiate a substrate, on which a resist film made of a resist material for EUV lithography has been formed, with light including vacuum ultraviolet light within the processing vessel; a control unit that controls the light source unit so as to irradiate the substrate with light including the vacuum ultraviolet light before the exposure process of the substrate; a light adjusting member disposed on an optical path of light including the vacuum ultraviolet light emitted from the light source unit to the substrate; and The light adjusting member is reducing a ratio of an intensity of a first wavelength range constituting a peak of the intensity of the light including the vacuum ultraviolet light; increasing a ratio of intensity of a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range of the light including the vacuum ultraviolet light; Reduce the variation in the intensity distribution of light at each wavelength. The substrate processing apparatus is configured as follows.

11. 11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light is light containing continuous spectral components in at least a part of a band included in a wavelength range of 100 nm to 200 nm.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit controls the light source unit so that the light containing vacuum ultraviolet light is irradiated while the temperature of the substrate is approximately equal to an ambient temperature.

13. 13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit controls the light source unit to irradiate the light including the vacuum ultraviolet light while the processing chamber is depressurized.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is provided within a stacked section in a coating and developing apparatus in which processing modules are stacked, at a position that serves as a transport path for the substrate between a resist film forming module and an exposure device.

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