Resist Coating Edge Drying via Laser and Solvent
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing resist coating treatment processes in semiconductor manufacturing are time-consuming due to the lengthy drying time of resist films, which delays the edge rinse process and reduces throughput, necessitating multiple resist coating units and increased system size.
Innovation Solution
A coating treatment method that involves supplying a coating solution to a substrate, drying the outer peripheral coating film with heat, and simultaneously removing the edge coating film with a solvent, while continuously applying heat to prevent re-deposition and contamination, using a heat supply member and a solvent supply member positioned to intercept and absorb heat waves effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the resist film is allowed to dry completely before edge rinse, then the edge rinse can effectively remove the resist film from the edge portion, but the coating treatment time becomes excessively long, reducing throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies heat to the outer peripheral portion of the resist film before the edge rinse process to pre-dry this region. This preliminary action reduces the overall drying time required while ensuring that the edge portion is sufficiently dried to prevent resist film flow during edge rinse, thereby resolving the contradiction between effective edge rinse and treatment time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the resist film treatment into different regions: the outer peripheral portion is heated to accelerate drying, while the central portion follows the normal drying process. This segmentation allows different parts of the resist film to be treated differently, optimizing both the edge rinse effectiveness and the overall processing time
2Productivity
If multiple resist coating units are installed to increase throughput, then the coating treatment efficiency improves, but the system size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heating function with the existing resist coating and edge rinse process by integrating a heat supply member into the coating treatment apparatus. This merging of functions allows the system to achieve faster processing without requiring separate dedicated drying equipment, thereby improving throughput while avoiding increased system complexity
3Loss of time
If heat is applied to dry the resist film faster, then the coating treatment time is reduced, but the resist film may become uneven or contaminated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies heat specifically to the outer peripheral portion of the resist film rather than uniformly heating the entire film. This local quality approach ensures that only the edge region undergoes accelerated drying, maintaining the uniformity of the central portion while reducing overall processing time and preventing 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
This method significantly shortens the coating treatment time, improving throughput by allowing earlier initiation of the edge rinse and preventing contamination, thus enhancing the efficiency of the resist coating process.
Implementation Method 1
supplying heat to the coating film on an outer peripheral portion of the substrate to dry the coating film on the outer peripheral portion
Implementation Method 2
supplying a solvent for the coating film to the coating film on an edge portion of the substrate to remove the coating film on the edge portion
Data Source
AI summary
Resist coating treatments for application of a resist solution to removal of a resist film on a wafer edge portion. A laser irradiation unit applies a laser light in a resist coating unit. At the time of resist coating treatment, the resist solution is discharged onto a central portion of the rotated wafer from a resist solution supply nozzle to form a resist film on the wafer. Thereafter, the laser irradiation unit moves to an outer peripheral portion of the wafer and applies the laser light onto the resist film on the outer peripheral portion to dry the resist film on the outer peripheral portion. The application of laser light is continued, and the solvent supply nozzle moves to a position above the edge portion and supplies solvent to the resist film on the edge portion. The solvent dissolves and removes the resist film on the edge portion.