Heat treatment equipment
The heat treatment apparatus addresses substrate scratches and film peeling by using rotating rollers to accommodate thermal expansion, enhancing substrate protection and reducing contamination.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TOKYO ELECTRON LTD
- Filing Date
- 2022-07-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-04
Smart Images
Figure 0007870209000001 
Figure 0007870209000002 
Figure 0007870209000003
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heat treatment apparatus.
Background Art
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a heat treatment apparatus including a mounting table having a heater, a gap pin that supports a semiconductor wafer on the mounting table with a gap, and a support pin that penetrates the mounting table and is movable up and down. In this heat treatment apparatus, the gap pin and the support pin are formed such that the difference between the heat applied to the semiconductor wafer from the gap pin and the support pin and the heat applied to the semiconductor wafer from the surface of the mounting table is minimized.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] The technology according to the present disclosure suppresses the occurrence of scratches and film peeling on the back surface of the substrate during heat treatment.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure includes a heat treatment plate having a temperature adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of a substrate, and a plurality of support members that are attached to the upper surface of the heat treatment plate and support the substrate in a state of being separated from the upper surface of the heat treatment plate. Each of the support members has a roller that rotates around a rotation axis parallel to the upper surface of the heat treatment plate, and the roller is attached to the upper surface of the heat treatment plate so as to support the back surface of the substrate on its outer peripheral surface and so that the roller rotates when the supported substrate thermally expands or thermally contracts. The support member further comprises a shaft member which serves as the rotation axis of the roller, The shaft member is configured to protrude in the axial direction from both axial ends of the roller. The upper surface of the heat treatment plate is provided with a groove for accommodating the support member such that the top of the roller protrudes from the upper surface. The groove has a projection that extends from the wall surface forming the groove toward the groove and supports the shaft member. It is a heat treatment device. [Effects of the Invention]
[0006] According to this disclosure, it is possible to suppress scratches and peeling of the film on the back surface of the substrate during heat treatment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0007] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a heating device as a heat treatment apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a top view of the heating plate with the support members attached. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of support members. [Figure 4] This is a magnified view of a portion of Figure 2. [Figure 5] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the heating plate with the support members attached. [Figure 6] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the heating plate with the support members attached. [Figure 7] This is an exploded view of the support member. [Figure 8] This is a diagram illustrating another example of a heating device. [Figure 9] This is a diagram illustrating another example of a heating device. [Figure 10] This is a diagram illustrating another example of heating device 1. [Figure 11] This figure shows another example of a heating plate. [Figure 12] This is a diagram illustrating another example of a heating device. [Figure 13] This is a diagram illustrating another example of a heating device. [Figure 14] This is a diagram illustrating another example of a height adjustment member. [Figure 15] This is a diagram illustrating another example of a height adjustment member. [Figure 16]It is a figure which shows another example of the roller of a support member. [Figure 17] It is a figure which shows a specific example of the shape of the roller of a support member.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0008] In a photolithography process in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device or the like, various processes are performed to form a desired resist pattern on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "wafer"). The various processes include a coating process of coating a resist solution to form a resist film, an exposure process of exposing the resist film to a predetermined pattern, a development process of applying a developer to the exposed resist film for development, a heat treatment process of heating the substrate, and a cooling process of cooling the heated substrate.
[0009] The heat treatment such as the above-described heat treatment and cooling treatment is performed using a heat treatment apparatus. Conventionally, the heat treatment apparatus has a heat treatment plate having a temperature adjustment unit such as a heater, and a gap pin that supports the substrate in a state of being separated from the upper surface of the heat treatment plate (see Patent Document 1).
[0010] By the way, the substrate expands or contracts thermally by heat treatment or cooling treatment. And when it expands or contracts thermally, the back surface of the substrate may be damaged by the gap pin. Also, when a film is formed on the back surface of the substrate, film peeling on the back surface of the substrate may occur due to the gap pin. Film peeling itself is a problem, but it is also a problem that the peeled film adheres to the substrate or the like to become particles, that is, foreign matter. The occurrence of scratches and film peeling on the back surface of the substrate as described above is particularly a concern when the substrate is vacuum-sucked to the heat treatment plate. Also, when the heat treatment is performed at a high temperature (for example, 350°C or higher), since the thermal expansion, that is, the thermal elongation of the substrate is large, large scratches and large film peeling are a concern.
[0011] Therefore, the technology according to the present disclosure suppresses the occurrence of scratches and film peeling on the back surface of the substrate during heat treatment.
[0012] The configuration of the heat treatment apparatus according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this specification, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.
[0013] (heating device) Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a heating device as a heat treatment apparatus according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a top view of the heating plate described later, showing the state in which the support members described later are attached. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of the support members. Figure 4 is a partially enlarged view of Figure 2. Figures 5 and 6 are partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the heating plate with the support members attached, respectively. Figure 7 is an exploded view of the support members.
[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the heating device 1 has, for example, a housing 10. A wafer W loading / unloading port (not shown) is formed on the side of the housing 10. The housing 10 is provided with a lid 20 located at the top and movable up and down, and a mounting section 21 located at the bottom and integrated with the lid 20 to form a processing chamber K.
[0015] The lid 20 has a roughly cylindrical shape with an open bottom and covers the upper surface of the wafer W placed on the heat plate 30, which will be described later. An exhaust section 20a is provided in the center of the upper surface of the lid 20. The atmosphere inside the processing chamber K is exhausted from the exhaust section 20a.
[0016] The mounting section 21 includes a heat plate 30 as a heat treatment plate, an annular holding member 31 that holds the outer circumference of the heat plate 30, and a cylindrical support ring 32 that surrounds the outer circumference of the holding member 31.
[0017] The heating plate 30 is an example of a heat treatment plate. The heat treatment plate is a plate-shaped member having a temperature control section that adjusts the temperature of the wafer W located above the upper surface of the heating plate. The heating plate 30 has a heater 33 inside as the temperature control section for heating the wafer W, and is formed, for example, in the shape of a disc. Specifically, the heater 33 heats the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30, thereby adjusting the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30 to a set temperature. A resistance heating type heater can be used as the heater 33.
[0018] Below the heating plate 30 within the housing 10, a lifting pin 40 is provided as a lifting member for supporting and raising / lowering the wafer W from below. The lifting pin 40 can be raised and lowered by a lifting drive mechanism 41 such as a cylinder. Near the center of the heating plate 30, a through hole 30b is formed that penetrates the heating plate 30 vertically, i.e., in the thickness direction. When the lifting pin 40 is raised, it can protrude above the heating plate 30 from the upper end of the through hole 30b.
[0019] Furthermore, the heating plate 30 is provided with multiple suction holes (not shown) that, in a plan view, do not overlap with the through-hole 30b and the support member 50 described later, and which attract the lower surface, i.e., the back surface, of the wafer W. Each suction hole is connected to an exhaust mechanism (not shown). The exhaust mechanism is controlled by a control unit U described later and includes a vacuum exhaust pump, etc. The exhaust mechanism exhausts air between the back surface of the wafer W and the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30 through the suction holes, thereby attracting and holding the wafer W to the heating plate 30.
[0020] Furthermore, the heating device 1 is provided with a control unit U. The control unit U is a computer equipped with a processor such as a CPU and memory, and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores programs for controlling the operation of the drive system, such as the heater 33 and the lifting drive mechanism 41, to realize the wafer processing in the heating device 1 described later. Note that the above program may have been recorded on a storage medium readable by the computer and installed from that storage medium to the control unit U.
[0021] Furthermore, in the heating device 1, a support member 50 is attached to the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30. The support member 50 is a member that supports the wafer W in a state where it is separated from the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30. Multiple support members 50 are arranged. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, for example, multiple support members 50 are arranged at equal intervals on each of multiple concentric circles E that are concentric with the heating plate 30 in a top view and have different diameters from each other.
[0022] Each support member 50 has a roller 51 that rotates around a rotation axis P parallel to the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30, as shown in Figures 4 to 6. The roller 51 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape.
[0023] The roller 51 is attached to the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30 such that it supports the wafer W with its outer circumferential surface, and that the roller 51 rotates when the supported wafer W undergoes thermal expansion. In other words, the roller 51 is attached to the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30 such that, when viewed from above, the radial direction of the heating plate 30 passing through the center of the roller 51 (the Y direction in Figure 4, etc.) is parallel to the rotational direction of the roller 51. To put it another way, the roller 51 is attached to the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30 such that, when viewed from above, it is concentric with the heating plate 30 and the axis of rotation P is parallel to the tangential direction of the circle passing through the center of the roller 51 (the X direction in Figure 4, etc.).
[0024] Furthermore, the support member 50 has a shaft member 52 that serves as the axis of rotation for the roller 51. The shaft member 52 is configured to protrude from both ends of the roller 51 in the axial direction (a direction passing through the rotation axis P and parallel to the rotation axis P, the X direction as shown in Figure 4, etc.).
[0025] For example, alumina or zirconia can be used as the material for the roller 51 and the shaft member 52. For example, the diameter of the roller 51 is 5 mm to 10 mm, the axial length (i.e., width) of the roller 51 is 3 to 10 mm, and the amount of protrusion of the roller 51 from the upper surface 30a of the hot plate 30 is 0.1 to 0.2 mm.
[0026] Furthermore, a friction-reducing film (not shown) may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the roller 51 to reduce friction with the back surface of the wafer W. The friction-reducing film is, for example, a diamond-like carbon film. The friction-reducing film is formed at least in the region of the outer circumferential surface of the roller 51 that can come into contact with the back surface of the wafer W, and may be formed on the entire outer circumferential surface of the roller 51.
[0027] The upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30 to which the support member 50 is attached is provided with a groove 30c that is recessed downwards. A groove 30c is provided for each support member 50. Each groove 30c accommodates the support member 50 such that the top, or upper part, of the roller 51 protrudes from the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30.
[0028] Furthermore, the groove 30c has a protrusion 30d that projects inward from the wall surface forming the groove 30c. The protrusion 30d supports the shaft member 52 of the support member 50 so that the outer circumferential surface of the roller 51 does not come into contact with the wall surface forming the groove 30c. Specifically, the protrusions 30d are formed in pairs, with the portion of the groove 30c that accommodates the roller 51 in between. One of the pair of protrusions 30d supports one end of the shaft member 52 in the axial direction, and the other supports the other end of the shaft member 52 in the axial direction.
[0029] By supporting the shaft member 52 with the protrusion 30d, the support member 50 is supported by the heating plate 30 and positioned in the vertical direction.
[0030] Furthermore, the support member 50 is housed in the groove 30c so as not to move in the radial direction (Y direction, as shown in Figure 4, etc.) of the heating plate 30 passing through the center of the roller 51. Specifically, for example, a pair of barriers 30e and 30f are provided in the groove 30c, and these barriers 30e and 30f prevent the shaft member 52 supported by the protrusion 30d from moving in the radial direction.
[0031] As shown in Figure 7, the roller 51 and the shaft member 52 may be separate components. In this case, the roller 51 and the shaft member 52 may be configured to be detachable from each other. For example, the roller 51 and the shaft member 52 can be attached to and detached from each other by inserting and removing the shaft member 52 from a through hole 51a formed in the center of the roller 51 in an axial view of the roller 51.
[0032] If fixing the roller 51 and the shaft member 52 is required, this fixing can be achieved, for example, by fitting the through hole 51a of the roller 51 with the shaft member 52.
[0033] Furthermore, the roller 51 and the shaft member 52 may be formed integrally. In this case, the roller 51 and the shaft member 52 may be integrally formed from different materials, or they may be integrally formed from the same material.
[0034] (Wafer processing) Next, an example of wafer processing performed using the heating device 1 will be described. Note that the wafer W to be processed may or may not have a film deposited on its back surface. For example, first, a wafer transport mechanism (not shown) holding a wafer W is inserted into the housing 10 through an inlet / outlet (not shown) provided on the side of the housing 10. Then, the wafer W is transported above the heating plate 30. Next, the lifting pin 40 is raised, and the wafer W is transferred onto the lifting pin 40. Before the wafer W is loaded into the housing 10, the heating plate 30 is preheated to a set temperature of, for example, 350°C or higher.
[0035] After the wafer is transferred to the lifting pin 40, the wafer transport mechanism is withdrawn from the housing 10, and the lifting pin 40 is lowered, transferring the wafer W onto the roller 51 of the support member 50. The wafer W is then held in place by suction from the suction holes (not shown) of the heating plate 30. Therefore, even if the wafer W is warped, the warping is corrected by the suction, and the wafer W can be made flat. This makes it possible to perform the desired heat treatment even on a warped wafer W.
[0036] Furthermore, after the wafer W is transferred onto the roller 51 of the support member 50, the lid 20 is lowered to form the processing chamber K. Subsequently, the wafer W is heated by the heating plate 30 for a predetermined period of time while exhaust is being discharged from the exhaust section 20a. During heating, the wafer W undergoes thermal expansion, and the roller 51 of the support member 50 supporting the wafer W rotates to follow this thermal expansion. Therefore, friction between the back surface of the wafer W and the support member 50 (specifically, the outer surface of the roller 51) can be suppressed.
[0037] After a predetermined time has elapsed since the wafer W was transferred onto the roller 51 of the support member 50, the lid 20 is raised and the lifting pin 40 is raised, transferring the wafer W to the lifting pin 40, and the wafer transport mechanism is then inserted into the housing 10. Subsequently, the lifting pin 40 is lowered, and the wafer W is transferred to the wafer transport mechanism. Then, the wafer transport mechanism is removed from the housing 10, and the wafer W is transported out of the housing 10.
[0038] As described above, in this embodiment, the heating device 1 comprises a heating plate 30 having a heater 33, and a plurality of support members 50 attached to the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30 and supporting the wafer W at a distance from the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30. Each support member 50 also has a roller 51 that rotates around a rotation axis P parallel to the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30. The rollers 51 are attached to the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30 such that their outer circumferential surfaces support the back surface of the wafer W, and that the rollers 51 rotate when the supported wafer W undergoes thermal expansion. Therefore, since the rollers 51 supporting the wafer W rotate in accordance with the thermal expansion of the wafer W, friction between the back surface of the wafer W and the support members 50 (specifically the outer circumferential surfaces of the rollers 51) can be suppressed. Consequently, scratches on the back surface of the wafer W can be suppressed during the heating process of the wafer W. Furthermore, if a film is deposited on the back surface of the wafer W, peeling of the film on the back surface of the wafer W can be suppressed during the heating process of the wafer W.
[0039] As mentioned above, a friction-reducing film may be formed on the outer surface of the roller 51. If a friction-reducing film is formed, friction between the back surface of the wafer W and the outer surface of the roller 51 can be further suppressed.
[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the roller 51 rotates, the contact area with the wafer W (specifically its back surface) on the outer circumferential surface of the roller 51 is not always the same. Unlike this embodiment, if the contact area with the wafer W is always the same on the support member that supports the wafer W, then if a friction-reducing film is formed on the contact surface with the wafer W of the support member, the amount of wear on the friction-reducing film will be locally high. In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, since the contact area with the wafer W is not always the same on the outer circumferential surface of the roller 51, which is the contact surface with the wafer W, even if a friction-reducing film is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the roller 51, the friction-reducing film will not wear locally, but will wear almost evenly. Therefore, the durability of the support member 50 (specifically the roller 51) on which the friction-reducing film is formed can be improved.
[0041] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the support member 50 can be attached simply by housing it in a groove 30c having a protrusion 30d formed on the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30. Removal of the support member 50 can also be easily performed by simply picking it up from within the groove 30c. In other words, this embodiment employs a structure that allows for easy attachment and detachment of the support member 50 to the heating plate 30, making it easy to replace the support member 50.
[0042] As mentioned above, the roller 51 and the shaft member 52 may be formed as separate components and configured to be detachable from each other. If they are formed as separate components, if the roller 51 is damaged or the friction-reducing film on the roller 51 reaches the end of its lifespan, only the roller 51 can be replaced and the shaft member 52 can be reused, thereby reducing costs. In addition, if the shaft member 52 is damaged, only the shaft member 52 can be replaced.
[0043] As mentioned above, the roller 51 and shaft member 52 constituting the support member 50 may be formed integrally. This eliminates the need to assemble the roller 51 and shaft member 52, thus shortening the installation time for the support member 50. Furthermore, when they are integrally formed, no misalignment occurs between the roller 51 and shaft member 52 in the axial direction of the roller 51, so the relative positions of the roller 51 in the axial direction can be properly adjusted without needing to align them.
[0044] (modified version) Figures 8 to 10 illustrate other examples of the heating device 1. Figure 8 shows a magnified view of the upper surface of the heating plate with the support member and the retaining member (described later) attached, while Figures 9 and 10 show magnified views of the cross-section of the heating plate with the support member and the retaining member attached, respectively.
[0045] As shown in Figures 8 to 10, a retaining member 60 may be attached to the groove 30Ab formed in the upper surface 30Aa of the heating plate 30A, on the upper side (positive Z-direction side in Figure 8, etc.) of the shaft member 52 of the support member 50. The retaining member 60 prevents the shaft member 52 of the support member 50 from moving upward within the groove 30Ab. By providing such a retaining member 60, it is possible to prevent the support member 50 from coming out of the groove 30Ab.
[0046] Furthermore, the retaining member 60 is formed such that, when installed in the groove 30Ab, it does not overlap with the roller 51 in a top view, but only with the shaft member 52. That is, the retaining member 60 is formed to have a space in the center in a plan view (Condition 1). Also, the retaining member 60 has radial elasticity (Condition 2). A retaining member 60 that satisfies the above conditions 1 and 2 is, for example, one that is formed in a C shape in a plan view.
[0047] The plan view shape of the groove 30Ab into which the C-shaped retaining member 60 is attached is, for example, a circle smaller than the outer diameter of the retaining member 60 in its normal state (when no external force is applied). In a groove 30Ab with such a plan view shape, the C-shaped retaining member 60 is attached in a state where it is contracted inward in plan view. Therefore, the outer surface of the C-shaped retaining member 60 is pressed against the inner wall of the groove 30Ab, and this force fixes it to the groove 30Ab.
[0048] Furthermore, by making the plan view shape of the groove 30Ab circular as described above, the wall surface forming the groove 30Ab can suppress the movement of the shaft member 52 in the radial direction (Y direction as shown in Figure 8, etc.) of the heating plate 30A passing through the center of the roller 51.
[0049] Figure 11 shows another example of a heating plate. If a retaining member 60 is provided, as shown in Figure 11, the groove 30Bb formed on the upper surface 30Ba of the heating plate 30B may have a canopy portion 30Bc that protrudes into the groove 30Bb from the wall surface forming the groove 30Bb in the portion above the retaining member 60.
[0050] By providing such a canopy portion 30Bc, it is possible to prevent the retaining member 60 from coming out of the groove 30Bb. Furthermore, by providing the overhang portion 30Bc, the opening area of the groove 30Bb relative to the upper surface 30Ba of the heating plate 30B can be reduced. Radiation from the heating plate 30B to the wafer W is less likely to occur at the opening of the groove 30Bb relative to the upper surface 30Ba of the heating plate 30B. Therefore, as described above, by reducing the opening area of the groove 30Bb relative to the upper surface 30Ba of the heating plate 30B, it is possible to suppress the temperature drop in the portion of the wafer W corresponding to the opening.
[0051] Figures 12 and 13 are diagrams illustrating another example of the heating device 1, and show enlarged cross-sections of the heating plate with the support member, pressing member, and height adjustment member (described later) attached.
[0052] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, a height adjustment member 70 may be attached to the groove 30Ab formed on the upper surface 30Aa of the heating plate 30A. The height adjustment member 70 is positioned between the protrusion 30d and the shaft member 52 of the support member 50 and is used to adjust the height of the shaft member 52. By adjusting the height of the shaft member 52 with the height adjustment member 70, the amount of protrusion of the support member 50 (specifically the roller 51) from the upper surface 30Aa of the heating plate 30A can be adjusted.
[0053] The height adjustment member 70 is formed, for example, in the shape of a plate, specifically, for example, in the shape of an annular plate. For example, a washer can be used for the height adjustment member 70. The height adjustment member 70 may be provided for all of the support members 50, or for only some of the support members 50. Furthermore, the height of the height adjustment member 70 may differ for each support member 50.
[0054] By using such a height adjustment member 70, the distribution of the amount of protrusion of the support member 50 from the upper surface 30Aa of the heat plate 30A within the plane of the heat plate 30A can be made to a desired state (for example, a uniform distribution within the plane or a distribution where the amount of protrusion is less on the outer side than on the central side).
[0055] Figures 14 and 15 illustrate other examples of height adjustment members, respectively, and show enlarged cross-sections of the heating plate with the support member and height adjustment member attached.
[0056] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the height adjustment member 70A may have elasticity in the vertical direction (i.e., in the thickness direction of the heat plate 30) when attached to the groove 30c of the heat plate 30. The height adjustment member 70A is provided for all support members 50, for example. By using such a height adjustment member 70, regardless of the processing accuracy of the heating plate 30 and the support member 50, when the wafer W is held in contact with the heating plate 30, that is, when the wafer W and the support member 50 are supported, the height of the support member 50, i.e., the distance from the heating plate 30 to the wafer W, can be made substantially uniform within the plane of the heating plate 30.
[0057] Figure 16 shows another example of a roller for a support member. The outer diameter of the roller 51 of each support member 50 is, for example, common among the support members 50, but as shown in Figure 16, the roller 51A of the support member 50A attached to the central side of the heating plate 30 and the roller 51 of the support member 50B attached to the outer circumference side of the heating plate 30 may have different (thickness of the part that contacts the wafer W) values. More specifically, the roller 51B on the outer circumference side of the heating plate 30 may be thinner than the roller 51A on the central side of the heating plate 30. As a result, the roller 51B on the outer circumference of the heating plate 30 has less resistance during rotation than the roller 51A on the central side of the heating plate 30. In addition, the roller 51B on the outer circumference of the heating plate 30 has a smaller heat capacity and surface area than the roller 51A on the central side of the heating plate 30, meaning that it absorbs less heat from the heating plate 30.
[0058] Incidentally, when heating a wafer W using the heating plate 30, the degree of thermal expansion is greater on the outer edge of the wafer W than on the central side. Therefore, as described above, by making the rotational resistance of the outer roller 51B smaller than that of the central roller 51A, when the outer edge of the wafer W undergoes significant thermal expansion, the outer roller 51B can rotate in accordance with the thermal expansion without rubbing against the outer edge of the wafer W. In other words, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of scratches and peeling on the back surface of the wafer W on the outer edge of the wafer W.
[0059] Furthermore, in the heating plate 30 that heats the wafer W, the outer edge cools down easily, while heat tends to accumulate in the center. Therefore, as described above, by making the heat capacity and surface area of the outer roller 51B smaller than that of the central roller 51A, the heat absorption of the heating plate 30 by the roller 51B can be suppressed. As a result, when the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30 is heated uniformly in the plane, the uniformity of the temperature of the heating plate 30 can be maintained.
[0060] (Laura's specific example) Figure 17 shows a specific example of the shape of the roller of the support member. The roller 51C of the support member 50C in Figure 17 is formed so that it becomes thicker towards the center in the axial direction (X direction in the figure) of the roller 51C and thinner towards the ends.
[0061] By using such a roller 51C, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of scratches on at least one of the ends of the roller 51 or the back surface of the wafer W due to contact between the end of the roller 51 and the back surface of the wafer W in the axial direction of the roller 51. Furthermore, heating of the wafer W by the heating plate 30 is predominantly due to radiation from the upper surface 30a of the heating plate 30, and heat transfer via the support member 50C is a factor in in-plane temperature non-uniformity of the wafer W. Therefore, by using a support member 50C having the roller 51C as described above, the contact area between the roller 51C and the wafer W can be reduced. The contact area between the roller 51 and the wafer W, and the surrounding area, become singular points in the temperature of the wafer W when heated by the heating plate 30, but by reducing the contact area as described above, the area of these singular points can be reduced, and the in-plane temperature uniformity of the wafer W can be improved. In addition, by reducing the contact area as described above, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of scratches and film peeling on the back surface of the wafer W.
[0062] (Other variations) In the above example, all of the support members that support the wafer W while spaced apart from the upper surface of the heating plate had the rollers described above. Alternatively, only the support members positioned on the outer periphery of the heating plate corresponding to the outer periphery of the wafer W, which has a large degree of thermal expansion, may have the rollers described above, while the other support members may be configured in the same way as conventionally, without the rollers described above.
[0063] Furthermore, in the above example, the technology of this disclosure was applied to a heating device for heating a wafer W. However, the technology of this disclosure may also be applied to a cooling device for cooling a wafer W. In this case, the cooling device comprises a cooling plate having a cooling section such as a flow path for a cooling refrigerant, and a plurality of support members attached to the upper surface of the cooling plate and supporting the wafer W at a distance from the upper surface of the cooling plate. In this case, each of the support members of the cooling device has a roller that rotates around a rotation axis parallel to the upper surface of the cooling plate. The rollers are attached to the upper surface of the cooling plate such that their outer circumferential surfaces support the back surface of the wafer W, and that the rollers rotate when the supported wafer W shrinks due to heat. Therefore, since the rollers supporting the wafer W rotate in accordance with the thermal shrinkage of the wafer W, friction between the back surface of the wafer W and the support members can be suppressed. Accordingly, the above cooling device can suppress scratches and peeling of the film on the back surface of the wafer W during the cooling process of the wafer W. Furthermore, a cooling device to which the technology described herein is applied can obtain effects similar to the other effects of the heating device 1 described above.
[0064] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The embodiments described above may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. For example, the constituent elements of the embodiments described above can be combined in any way. Such any combination will naturally yield the functions and effects of each constituent element in the combination, as well as other functions and effects that will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description herein.
[0065] Furthermore, the effects described herein are merely descriptive or illustrative and not limiting. In other words, the technology relating to this disclosure may produce other effects that are obvious to those skilled in the art from the description herein, in addition to or instead of the effects described herein.
[0066] Furthermore, the following configuration examples also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. (1) A heat treatment plate having a temperature control unit for adjusting the temperature of the substrate, The system comprises a plurality of support members attached to the upper surface of the heat treatment plate and supporting the substrate at a distance from the upper surface of the heat treatment plate, Each of the support members has a roller that rotates around a rotation axis parallel to the upper surface of the heat treatment plate. The aforementioned roller, A heat treatment apparatus is attached to the upper surface of the heat treatment plate such that its outer periphery supports the back surface of the substrate, and the roller rotates when the supported substrate expands or contracts due to heat. (2) The heat treatment apparatus according to (1), wherein the support members are arranged in multiple locations on each of a plurality of concentric circles that are concentric with the heat treatment plate and have different diameters when viewed from above. (3) The heat treatment apparatus according to (1) or (2), wherein the support member further comprises a shaft member which is the rotation axis of the roller. (4) The heat treatment apparatus according to (3), wherein the shaft member is configured to protrude in the axial direction from both axial ends of the roller. (5) The upper surface of the heat treatment plate is provided with a groove for accommodating the support member such that the top of the roller protrudes from the upper surface. The heat treatment apparatus according to (4), wherein the groove has a protrusion that projects from the wall surface forming the groove toward the groove and supports the shaft member. (6) The heat treatment apparatus according to (5), further comprising a retaining member attached to the groove and preventing the shaft member from moving upward. (7) The heat treatment apparatus according to (6), wherein the groove has a visor portion that protrudes into the groove from the wall surface forming the groove, in the portion above the retaining member. (8) The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of (5) to (7), wherein a height adjustment member is disposed between the protrusion of the groove and the shaft member of the support member for adjusting the height of the support member. (9) The heat treatment apparatus according to (8), wherein the height adjustment member is elastic in the vertical direction. (10) The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of items (3) to (9), wherein the roller and the shaft member are separate and configured to be detachably attached to each other. (11) The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the roller is formed to be thicker towards the center in the axial direction of the roller and thinner towards the end. (12) The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of (1) to (11) above, wherein the substrate to be processed has a film formed on its back surface. (13) The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of (1) to (12), wherein a friction-reducing film is formed on the outer surface of the roller to reduce friction with the back surface of the substrate. (14) The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of (1) to (13), wherein, of the plurality of rollers, those attached to the outer circumference of the heat treatment plate are thinner than those attached to the central side of the heat treatment plate. [Explanation of symbols]
[0067] 1 Heating device 30, 30A, 30B hot plate 30a, 30Aa, 30Ba top surface 30c, 30Ab, 30Bb groove 50, 50A, 50B, 50C Support members 51, 51A, 51B, 51C Laura P Rotation axis W wafer
Claims
1. A heat treatment plate having a temperature control unit for adjusting the temperature of the substrate, The system comprises a plurality of support members attached to the upper surface of the heat treatment plate and supporting the substrate at a distance from the upper surface of the heat treatment plate, Each of the support members has a roller that rotates around a rotation axis parallel to the upper surface of the heat treatment plate. The aforementioned roller, The roller is attached to the upper surface of the heat treatment plate such that its outer periphery supports the back surface of the substrate, and that the roller rotates when the supported substrate expands or contracts due to heat. The support member further comprises a shaft member which serves as the rotation axis of the roller, The shaft member is configured to protrude in the axial direction from both axial ends of the roller. The upper surface of the heat treatment plate is provided with a groove for accommodating the support member such that the top of the roller protrudes from the upper surface. The heat treatment apparatus has a groove having a protrusion that extends from the wall surface forming the groove toward the groove and supports the shaft member.
2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support members are arranged in multiple locations on each of a plurality of concentric circles that are concentric with the heat treatment plate and have different diameters when viewed from above.
3. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a retaining member attached to the groove and preventing the shaft member from moving upward.
4. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the groove has a canopy portion that protrudes into the groove from the wall surface forming the groove, in the portion above the retaining member.
5. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a height adjustment member disposed between the protrusion of the groove and the shaft member of the support member, for adjusting the height of the support member.
6. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the height adjustment member has elasticity in the vertical direction.
7. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the roller and the shaft member are separate entities and are configured to be detachably attached to each other.
8. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the roller is formed to be thicker towards the center in the axial direction of the roller and thinner towards the ends.
9. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate to be processed has a film formed on its back surface.
10. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a friction-reducing film is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the roller to reduce friction with the back surface of the substrate.
11. A heat treatment plate having a temperature control unit for adjusting the temperature of a substrate, The system comprises a plurality of support members attached to the upper surface of the heat treatment plate and supporting the substrate at a distance from the upper surface of the heat treatment plate, Each of the support members has a roller that rotates around a rotation axis parallel to the upper surface of the heat treatment plate. The aforementioned roller, The roller is attached to the upper surface of the heat treatment plate such that its outer periphery supports the back surface of the substrate, and that the roller rotates when the supported substrate expands or contracts due to heat. A heat treatment apparatus wherein, of the multiple rollers, those attached to the outer circumference of the heat treatment plate are thinner than those attached to the central part of the heat treatment plate.