Coating Developing System Immersion Exposure Particle Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing coating and developing systems for semiconductor wafers face contamination issues due to particle contamination and water marks formed during the immersion exposure process, leading to inaccurate resist patterns and defects in the resist pattern formation.
Innovation Solution
A coating and developing system with a processing block, interface block, and specialized carrying mechanisms that include substrate cleaning units and a humidifying unit to prevent particle contamination and water marks by cleaning substrates after immersion exposure and maintaining humidity to prevent drying of the liquid layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a liquid layer is formed on the resist film for immersion exposure, then exposure resolution is improved, but particle contamination and water marks occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful liquid layer from the resist film after exposure by introducing a drying unit that removes the liquid layer through capillary action and airflow, separating the beneficial exposure process from the harmful contamination effects
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a drying unit as an intermediary component between the exposure unit and subsequent processing units. This intermediary removes the liquid layer and prevents particle contamination and water marks from affecting the resist pattern
2Productivity
If the liquid layer remains on the wafer after exposure, then immersion exposure is completed, but particles are produced and contamination spreads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by introducing a drying unit that removes the liquid layer immediately after exposure, preventing particles from forming and spreading before the wafer enters subsequent processing units
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful remaining liquid layer into a beneficial controlled drying process. The drying unit uses capillary action and airflow to systematically remove the liquid, transforming the contamination risk into a controlled evaporation process that prevents particle formation
3Temperature
If particles adhere to the resist film during heating process, then heating is performed, but line-width of resist pattern is greatly affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts particles from the system by introducing a drying unit that removes the liquid layer where particles form, preventing particles from adhering to the resist film before the heating process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary particle removal through the drying unit before the heating process, eliminating the source of contamination that would otherwise affect line-width during heating
4Ease of operation
If particles are scattered in the processing unit by contaminated carrying arm, then transfer is performed, but entire coating and developing system is contaminated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the contamination source by introducing a drying unit that removes particles from the wafer surface before transfer, preventing contaminated carrying arms from scattering particles throughout the system
Solution Approach 2:
The drying unit serves as an intermediary between exposure and processing units, eliminating particles from the wafer surface before the carrying arm transfers it, thus preventing system-wide contamination
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively removes particles and prevents water marks, ensuring accurate resist pattern formation by preventing contamination of processing units and maintaining pattern integrity during heating and developing processes.
Implementation Method 1
a humidifying unit for humidifying an atmosphere around a substrate which is carried to the substrate cleaning unit
Implementation Method 2
a substrate cleaning unit for cleaning the substrate processed by the immersion exposure process
Data Source
AI summary
A coating and developing system is capable of preventing the contamination of a substrate with particles while the same coats a surface of a substrate with a resist film and develops the resist film after the substrate has been processed by immersion exposure. The coating and developing system includes: a processing block including coating units for forming a resist film on a surface of a substrate and developing units for processing the resist film formed on the substrate with a developer, and an interface block connected to the processing block and an exposure system for carrying out an immersion exposure process. The interface block includes: substrate cleaning units for cleaning the substrate processed by the immersion exposure process, a first carrying mechanism and a second carrying mechanism. The first carrying mechanism carries a substrate processed by immersion exposure to the substrate cleaning unit. The second carrying mechanism carries the substrate cleaned by the substrate cleaning unit. Thus the contamination of the substrate with external particles can be prevented and hence the spread of contamination with particles over the processing units of the processing block and substrates processed by the processing units can be prevented.